John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)

The Acting Chairman knows about this and other Members feel the same way. We will never have all-party agreement on Constituency Commission recommendations because there are winners and losers. I am not a sore loser. I will fight my battle and take on the new challenge. However, it is making my job extremely difficult. I cannot see the logic in it but it has been done and we cannot change it. On this occasion, no party has an appetite to change it but the only way to go is to ask the next boundary commission to produce an interim report. This would solve two problems and I hope the Minister will provide clarification when he responds on Second Stage.

Boundary recommendations will be put to this House in the coming days and they will become law and I accept this. I have shifted my tent into the new part of my constituency to meet and work with and for my people. At the back of my mind, I am aware that another census will take place in a few years and a boundary commission will be obliged by law to act after the census. If we keep going the way we are, it is technically possible that the boundary of my constituency will be revised again and we will have confusion.

I am open to contradiction but I understand that if we go down the route of asking the commission to implement an interim report, it would be produced after the census and prior to a general election if the Government sees out its full term. This would provide us with an opportunity to examine the interim report, have the election and then make changes. It is the only sensible way to progress and we must have clarification and certainty on it, not only for ourselves but for the people we represent.

The people of west Limerick, who I have represented for the past number of years, feel sore that they are being asked to vote in another county. They will never be in a position to elect one of their own, a Limerick man or woman, because the boundary revision distinctly favours candidates from the other county, namely, Kerry. This adds insult to injury. They have been disenfranchised. They have a loyalty to their county and they should be entitled to vote for candidates in their county and have their own constituency as they always had. It is not good enough. I cannot undo what has been done but I feel strongly about it and I am cross that these people should be treated in such a manner.

With respect to the boundary commission, I understood it would respect within reason county and provincial boundaries and this has not happened on this occasion. County boundaries have been broken and towns have been divided in two. This makes no logical sense to me. A portion of Deputy Enright's constituency in Leinster has been lost to north Tipperary in Munster and this is wrong.

We must have pride in our profession and if we do not defend it nobody else will. We have come to the stage when we should decide. We should have an independent boundary commission by all means but I would add a political brain to those independent people, perhaps former Ministers or Deputies from all sides of the House. They would have a feel for politics and an understanding of how it works.

I respect the position, integrity and independence of the people on the commission and we must keep it independent. However, we must also be sensible. None of us should allow our careers to be taken from under us with a stroke of a pen. The people of Kerry must have lobbied effectively as they managed to save their seat when the constituency was under-represented. I understand the people of Leitrim made more submissions than any other constituency in the country because of the wrong done to them on a previous occasion. However, the boundary there was not changed back.

I appeal to all parties that the only route we can take is to have the boundary commission produce an interim report to be examined sensibly in this House. I do not mean that we should only introduce minor changes or tinker with the edges, which happens and must happen. In future, I will not accept decisions such as those proposed on this occasion. If I am fortunate enough to be in the House on the next occasion I will vote in a different way.

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