Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Government has a decision to make on whether it will adopt the recommendations of a commission which it set up. Deputy O'Donnell is correct; it does not make sense to break county boundaries and bring Limerick into Kerry. I come from Connacht-Ulster. The people of this country died for the right to have a parliament. If the people of 1916 up to 1921 were alive today they would turn in their graves with regard to this referendum which will be held soon. However, I will not deal with that subject today. They fought to have the vote; they fought for people to have a right to their own parliament. County Leitrim is a small county. I do not understand how any member of the commission could see fit to break up County Leitrim so that it would not have representation in Dáil Éireann. This is a disgrace and it goes against this Republic, against this Parliament and against what we all stand for, which is for people to have rights and representation in this House.

Whenever the next commission is formed, it must reverse this decision. County Leitrim is entitled to have representation in this Parliament. I am in a constituency which was a two-seater and a three-seater, Mayo East and Mayo West. In part of Mayo West at one time I represented part of Galway and I used to go to Headford. It was a crazy situation. I was writing to the county manager in Galway on one issue and writing to the Mayo county manager on other issues. People lived on the border and people under pressure were coming to me with their problems. I found it very difficult to obtain replies. I find it very difficult to obtain replies from the Minister for Finance and his Department and from the Department of Education and Science. It is very difficult to obtain replies from local authorities.

I thank the Fianna Fáil people who now speak to me privately and say they were sorry they did not support me on the question of the dual mandate. I am sorry myself that I did not go the whole hog and bring it to the Supreme Court and let the people judge on it.

A constituent of mine is thinking of taking a separate case on the basis that the people believe they have been deprived, that the Government is taking away from them the right to choose whom they wish to vote for. The Government is saying I cannot stand in the local elections and the people must make that decision. There might be another case in the offing and the courts may have to make a decision.

It does not make sense to put part of Limerick into Kerry. It would be fine for Kerry to be a three-seater if it had the numbers but if not it should have been a five-seater like Mayo.

I live in Westport. If I go to Belmullet and Blacksod I am almost 60 miles away from my home. I have to travel from there to Shrule for a clinic on the third week of every month and I am another 30 to 40 miles away from my home. If I go to public meetings in Ballina, I am 40 miles away from home. I am saying this against myself but I would prefer to see Mayo have a three-seater and a two-seater rather than one five-seater because it is impossible to cover the size of that constituency. It is not good for our health; it is dangerous travelling on the roads and it does not make sense.

I refer to the new constituency for the European Parliament for Connacht-Ulster. I have a great interest in Europe——

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