Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

There are two issues of importance, the first of which is the fact that a report has been produced. It is an independent report commissioned by the Government but with the consent of everybody. When one sets up an independent commission to do a job, one cannot really disagree with its results because it cannot be argued that it acted impartially or did not follow its terms of reference. It is not just the present Government that has commissioned such reports because previous Administrations have done so since the famous Tullymander in the early 1970s. It is not that there was not a political carve-up of constituencies prior to that period; of course there was such a carve-up.

As a democratic Parliament, the Houses have given the power to an independent commission to do the job for us and we have given it its terms of reference. It has followed them to the best of its ability and we are left with the result, warts and all. That is the reality we must face. Much of the debate on these amendments really focuses on the next round, namely, what will happen when the next commission is set up and the terms of reference it ought to be given.

I accept the argument in principle that one should be able to elect a Deputy for one's area. The county system has been in existence for centuries. In the modern world, however, and certainly on the east coast of Ireland, it does not really make much sense. People want effective representation and want their representatives to be as near to them as possible. This is the issue on the east coast. East Meath is a fast growing area and there are approximately 3,000 or 4,000 more people living there than there were five years ago. These people send their children to school in Drogheda in the constituency of Louth and also do their shopping there. All of the services they want and need are available in a different constituency. The proposed constituency seems to enfranchise the people of east Meath, particularly those on the outskirts of Drogheda. Bearing in mind that the county boundary was formed hundreds of years ago, a different formula is needed so that the point of view of these people can be represented politically by those who understand it and who address every day the problems they face. As the Minister knows, I tabled a parliamentary question on this matter today. There was not enough time for him to answer it in the House but I hope I will be delighted with the reply.

There are two trends of note. There is a shift of population from rural to urban areas — including massive growth in the city of Dublin and its environs — and depopulation in the west. I agree with the Deputies from the west who contend that if we had a national spatial strategy that worked, this problem would be addressed. Frank McDonald of The Irish Times stated recently that Ireland is fast becoming a city state involving the city of Dublin and nowhere else. I agree that serious issues pertaining to the national spatial strategy have not been addressed by the Government. The continued creation of industry and jobs in and around the city of Dublin does not make sense. We should be developing the west, building transport corridors, including rail corridors, and infrastructure.

I take the point that Leitrim is a small county. Its population is smaller than that of Drogheda. There are more people living in my town of Drogheda than there are in the whole of County Longford. An agreement has been signed with the consent of the Department implying that Drogheda's water and sewerage systems can sustain 104,000 people. However, the county manager expects the population to grow to 140,000 in the next five to ten years. There are, therefore, significant pressures on the east coast which we have not been able to resist.

When further changes to constituency boundaries are considered, we should consider the trans-county boundary issue on the east coast. The county boundary is not as important as it clearly is in rural areas with declining populations. Perhaps we should re-examine the terms of reference of the boundary commission. The Government's national spatial strategy should be revisited and reorganised to focus on those areas.

Fine Gael cannot support the two amendments because the die is cast, the commission has sat and issued its report. We are not going to change it, notwithstanding the concerns that have been expressed. However, there are issues pertaining to constituency boundaries that are not being addressed by way of Government policy. The time to resolve these issues is after the next election, not now.

See this speech in context