Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Bill and the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I am aware that the inclination is for everybody to speak about their own constituency, as Deputy Noonan did so eloquently. Clearly there is cause for debate in regard to what he said. However, I bring the attention of the House to what occasioned the setting up of an independent boundaries commission. I was not elected to this House until 1982. However, I recall reading, when I was a member of a county council and local authority, about the famous "Tullymander" when the then Minister of the relevant Department decided he would become the god of the constituencies and that he alone would decide how each constituency was to be configured, thereby returning his colleagues and their parties to Government. We all know this action backfired in the face of the "Tullymander". One does not like to talk in such disparaging terms about a person who has passed away so I shall not dwell further on that issue.

The late Jack Lynch, the man who became Taoiseach following the election at that time, committed Fianna Fáil on taking up office to establish an independent boundaries commission and so it happened. We have stook with it ever since. I followed the debate in my office and noted Deputies' distinct inclination to speak about how they will be affected by the new constituency boundaries, the loss to them of valuable parts of their constituencies and how unfair all of this is.

I must say, despite some rocky ups and downs in various constituencies, I prefer to stick with the independent method of deciding constituencies rather than entrust such decisions to a Labour member, as happened in the Government of 1973-77. I find it amazing that nobody else has mentioned this during the debate. We are led to believe that the Labour Party is all things bright and beautiful, wonderful and good, but clearly that was not the case in that instance. The action backfired because former Taoiseach Jack Lynch romped home, if one may dare say it, with too many seats, therein sewing the seed of future disagreements and difficulties.

I welcome the report. I recall when for constituency purposes Longford was linked with Roscommon and what a jarring note that struck. Nobody could get their heads around it or understand what led to it. However, it was accepted and people got on with it. Likewise in the last round of constituency changes my constituency became the constituency of Longford-Westmeath, which had a comforting ring about it and gave me hope, which was subsequently realised. As part of the change, the north part of Meath was moved to the constituency of Meath West which has its own gripes, about which I heard Deputy Johnny Brady speak in the House. He was bemoaning that he cannot serve certain people.

I am glad the Minister of State with responsibility for housing is in the House to hear my simple solution to Deputy Brady's problem. I live in the town of Athlone, a busy and bustling town which has been greatly extended to the west into the area of Monksland following the construction of an enormous number of new housing estates. As far as I am aware, Monksland is the second largest town in Roscommon — I am sure the Minister of State will correct me if I am wrong. It is part of the Roscommon constituency and is a mile from where I live.

As one can imagine at least half of the people who attend my constituency clinic are from other constituencies. I do not moan about this but explain the situation to them and deal with their queries. I do not believe I can deal only with people from County Westmeath or County Longford. Many of these people would have lived in Athlone and later moved a mile or two to rus in urbe because they believed they would have a better life there, and good luck to them. They come to me because I dealt with them previously under a different constituency arrangement. I deal with their queries, and why not? We are all elected by the people. On a more practical level, many of them have mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers living in the town of Athlone, which has its own wash-back.

I was amazed to hear several Deputies say they could not deal with people who came to them from another constituency. I found that odd and alarming. I deal with people on a national level and, be that as it may, I merely wished to raise that point.

The Bill is tidying up legislation and it is rather good. The daft arrangement whereby those seeking election as Independent candidates, who were called assenters, be it to a town council, county council, the Dáil or Europe, had to be assembled in a vast concourse and they had to raise their hands and say who they were representing. That was a very cumbersome, clumsy and silly system that was introduced, I think, in 1992 and was subsequently changed. Now, candidates need only sign a form and the requirements vary according to the electoral mandate one seeks to fill.

I am glad the Central Statistics Office will review population divisions.

I note with interest, but of course we knew it before now, that those in Longford and Westmeath are to be Connacht people. We are being put into the European North-West constituency. I smile when I hear about Munster refusing to accept Galway into the province for the hurling championship. They should set up a commission.

See this speech in context