Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I welcome the report of the Constituency Commission and compliment those who carried out the good work. I only regret we are not here to implement the legislation changing the constituency boundaries. In all my time in the House, I have never heard such self-serving speeches, particularly from the Government side and including Ministers. I put it down to the signal the Taoiseach sent out when he was Minister for Finance about seeking the agreement of all parties to changing the boundary commission. It is all well and good to bring forward legislation but I do not know how people will sit on an independent commission if all we do is say, "They are independent but...". We either accept the report or we do not. I fully accept it and I compliment those involved on their work. I challenge Members who contributed earlier to produce a constituency breakdown that is fairer.

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