James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

This is a very serious issue for my constituency. I do not believe any constituency has been more negatively affected than Dublin North. We are losing Portmarnock which may make some geographic sense but, nonetheless, I am sorry I will no longer have the pleasure of representing Carrick Hill, Torcaill, Ardilaun, the Dunes and Beechwood to mention but a few places. At least one can say there is some geographic sense to that in that it is an integral unit.

However, what beggars belief and what has upset everybody in my constituency — not only those who live in Swords but also those who live outside it — is that they do not understand why the capital of Fingal has been virtually split in two, although it may be one third to two thirds. The bottom line is that 13,000 people will, for all intents and purposes, be disenfranchised. They will be at the tail of Dublin West dislocated by a large land mass from the rest of the urban population in Dublin West. The fear is that they will not get the representation they should. Despite the best of intentions, and we all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, they will not get the same service they currently receive. Furthermore, a county councillor will serve two Deputies. How will that work?

Important as this is for the people of Dublin North, it beggars belief that after three and a half months off and with the economy in a state of chassis and worsening by the day, the Government refused to allow a two-day debate on the economy. There are far more pressing issues. This issue could have been dealt with in the next two to three years before the next general election. The Fair Deal scheme has not been delivered despite promises made before last Christmas, last Easter and last summer. People have sold their homes. Others have no money left, so where do they go? Transplant legislation is badly needed and was discussed on the radio today. The secondary school in Donabate is afraid it will be left with a temporary dwelling instead of having a proper school. Legislation may be required to establish a patient safety authority which is becoming more relevant as more problems in the health service come to light. There is a need for people to be able to approach, confidentially, an authority which will be an advocate for them without the glare of publicity and without recourse to the courts.

To come back to the Swords area, how will Fingal County Council operate? My colleague, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, mentioned that Drogheda was becoming a city with a population of 30,000. The population of Swords has exceeded 40,000 people. There are great plans afoot with a very visionary county council which wants a university and a hospital and which has plans for a cultural centre, more shopping areas and a civic centre. This area will be split arbitrarily. It does not make sense.

I accept the commission is an independent body but independent or otherwise, human error, as we know only too well from the health service, is always with us. I have a sense that the commission has got this wrong. It has certainly got it wrong from the perspective of the people who live in Swords who are very upset, including those who live in River Valley, Boroimhe, Ridgewood, Knocksedan Demesne, Highfields, Hawthorne Park, the Nurseries and Burrow Court and the Forest Road. They feel disenfranchised and cut off.

I hope that before the general election, these people can be brought back into the constituency in which they were and that they can continue to be represented by the representatives who are there currently or those they may choose in the future. They should not be hived off where their voices will be lost in the wilderness of the other side of Dublin West.

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