Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I do not agree with Deputy Timmins very often but he made some valid arguments. We should examine a number of broader issues such as the number of seats in the House and difference in representation between urban and rural areas. If there is a problem in rural Ireland, we should be conscious of it and that is why it is important, in planning the economic development of the country, to take that on board. Many parts of the east coast are congested and there are major issues. We must be more radical and we must think outside the box when it comes to these issues.

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the report, which deals with Dáil and European Parliament constituencies. It is an important report, as it allows us all to debate, examine and propose constructive ideas on democracy, our national Parliament and the European Parliament. I am part of a three seat constituency and it is important that we look seriously at this issue. Dublin North-Central used to be a four seat constituency but was trimmed down to a three-seater. Due to population numbers, it is still a three-seater with a bit extra coming from Edenmore and Raheny, Dublin 5. I welcome the people of Edenmore back into Dublin North-Central and will do my best to support and assist them in all their local issues.

My personal position is that three seat constituencies are not necessarily good for our voters, our citizens and democracy. We need more four or five seat constituencies to include a broad range of views and to reflect modern Ireland. This is the way forward. We need to change and be open to change to help our voters. This is a very important aspect of this report and an area at which we need to look.

The House may remember that before the last general election, the former Independent Deputy, Catherine Murphy, and I took a High Court case dealing with this particular issue and made major progress in respect of Article 16.2.3° of our Constitution. It is important that we remind ourselves of this article, which requires that, as far as practicable, the ratio of Deputies to the population in each constituency should be the same throughout the country. We, as Members of the Oireachtas and legislators, must do our best to uphold Article 16.2.3°.

Our High Court case triggered a debate which came up with some sensible proposals. I also welcome the fact that even though we lost the case on a technicality, our costs were covered because the judge felt that we had something very important to say and some constituencies benefited as a result. It is very important that we look at this aspect. At no stage should we allow any Minister or anybody else to be in breach of Article 16.2.3° in light of the new figures and census.

We must also ensure that the ratio of Members to population in each constituency is fair and democratic. It is also important for us to protect and vindicate the right to equality of all our citizens. It is up to every Member of the Oireachtas, regardless of party, to defend the personal rights of all our citizens. This case demonstrates once again the importance of having people in the Oireachtas, Independent Deputies in particular, to act as watchdogs over the political system to protect the rights of our citizens and taxpayers.

There is much talk in this House about social and political inclusion, yet, in the past, there have been clear breaches of Article 16.2.3° of Bunreacht na hÉireann. It is important that, when we are talking about democracy and political and social inclusion, we ensure that people in the most disadvantaged areas have a genuine reflection of their voice in Dáil Éireann.

Recently, I got into trouble in respect of Article 9 of the Constitution. It is very important that we highlight this issue and the fact that Article 9 is relevant to this debate. This article states fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State are fundamental political duties of all our citizens. It is important to remind ourselves of Article 9, particularly in this debate, because we all have political duties and a loyalty to the State that we should do our best to implement. I know many of my colleagues across parties accept and support this position. It is very important that we are constantly vigilant in this regard.

In respect of the European elections, one has the broader debate on the Lisbon treaty and the questions raised about democracy and different aspects of different articles in the treaty. People have genuine concerns which we should not dismiss. We should look at the detail and have the debate. Even if we disagree, we should move on. Let us end the name calling and get on with it.

The Dublin area will lose a seat in the next European elections. I have concerns about that because we will end up with a three-seat constituency in the Dublin area. I ask the fundamental question as to whether this is enough to represent the people of Dublin in the European Parliament. I, and many people throughout the State, have concerns about this issue, which is relevant to this debate. We need to ensure that we look at the details of the report.

I also agree with some of Deputy Cregan's remarks. He came up with the idea of an interim report, which would allow us to have a broader debate about the constituency issue. Again, it is important for us to have that opportunity because ensuring that the relevant articles in the Constitution, the broader debate and the report, particularly Article 16.2.3°, are implemented is our bread and butter and that of the citizens of this State. Deputy O'Brien talked about the ratio of Deputies in respect of Swords. People in Limerick, Kerry and the west have major concerns also.

The elected representatives of this House have legitimate concerns which I share. Even though Dublin North-Central is a three-seater, it is fairly compact and one can get from one end to the other in ten to 15 minutes. This helps people to get to know one and their local Deputy. This business of chopping and changing every couple of years can be very awkward at times. In 2002, all of Grace Park Road was in Dublin North-Central. Now one side of the road is in Dublin North-Central while the other is in Dublin North-West. When very important planning and local issues, such as the Dublin Port tunnel, arise, people are confused at times and are crisscrossing different constituencies. It leads to confusion so we need some common sense when it comes to drawing boundaries, be they through villages, cities, roads or towns.

The same can be said of Griffith Avenue, which is probably one of the nicest avenues in Europe. It is divided down the middle. I lost some of it to Dublin North-West, while the rest of it is in Dublin North-Central. I raise these issues because they are important in the broader debate. We must ensure that the citizens get a fair crack of the whip in this debate.

I commend my former colleague, Catherine Murphy, on the work she did on the High Court case because she did the nation a great service. Even though she was not re-elected in Kildare, she performed a valuable service for the people nationally and in north Kildare. It is important that we say that, particularly in respect of service by people who are no longer Members of the Oireachtas. I urge people to listen to the ideas of different Members of the Oireachtas. Let us hope that we can all build a more inclusive and democratic country.

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