Peter Kelly (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

The Electoral Amendment Bill 2008 provides for the revision of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies in accordance with the recommendations of the report of the Constituency Commission which was presented to the Ceann Comhairle in October 2007. The Bill also provides for the establishment of future constituency commissions on publication by the CSO of the preliminary results in respect of a census of population and for the work of the commission to be completed following publication of final population data relating to the relevant census.

As well as dealing with constituency revision, the Bill proposes alternative procedures such as deposits or assents by electors for nomination of non-party candidates at European Parliament and local elections. The Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2007 provided for such alternative procedures for non-party candidates at Dáil elections. The need for these arose from a judgment of the Supreme Court in 2006 in which the court upheld the main requirement for obtaining 30 assenters to a Dáil nomination but struck down the provision requiring personal attendance by all assenters at a single location in a constituency. The court found the provision was inappropriate to the objective to be achieved and unconstitutional.

Due to the limited time then available and the need for enactment and implementation prior to the 2007 general election, the text of the 2007 Act provided for alternative nomination procedures for non-party candidates at Dáil elections only. Corresponding procedures for European Parliament and local elections are now required in advance of these elections next year and are included in the Bill on this basis. The procedures follow those enacted in 2007 for Dáil elections.

The overall aim of the Bill is to modernise and update the electoral law. The specific objectives of the Bill are to revise Dáil and European Parliament constituencies and to provide for the number of members to be elected for such constituencies in accordance with the report of the Constituency Commission.

With regard to revising Dáil constituencies, I am happy to state as a sitting T.D. for the constituency of Longford-Westmeath that our constituency has been left the same as it was at the previous general election. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the constituency on behalf of the people in Longford and Westmeath. This was a sensible recommendation. We have been together for many years, although temporarily separated. The people of these adjacent counties have a great deal in common. We have worked well together in the past.

The regional hospital in Mullingar, County Westmeath, serves the people of Longford and Westmeath. It is of utmost importance for the public representatives and those we represent that we have a hospital in our area and access to it and the personnel, management, the HSE and the Department of Health and Children to ensure a proper service is maintained at the hospital in Mullingar. I must compliment everyone at the hospital on the great work they do. I have visited the hospital many times and people are inclined to underestimate the commitment, dedication and work of the hospital staff, including the professors, consultants, doctors, nurses, ward staff and everyone who works there. Seeing is believing and I do not receive any complaints from patients who have been admitted and treated in the hospital. I have heard nothing but the height of praise for the excellent service people receive from the staff. It is refreshing and rewarding for someone like me to meet the people in the hospital whom patients meet on a regular basis to see how committed and dedicated they are to improving both the service and the health of those for whom they care.

The people of Longford-Westmeath have many other things in common. We also were part of the Midland Regional Authority, on which we worked together very well. In addition, people in Longford-Westmeath look forward to extending a dual carriageway connecting Longford with Mullingar to continue the magnificent road that runs from Kinnegad to Dublin.

See this speech in context