Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Beidh Páirtí an Lucht Oibre ag vótáil ar son na tairisceana seo go n-órdóidh an Ceann Comhairle do Chléireach na Dála a eascaire a chur amach chun Comhalta athoghadh chun an folúntas a líonadh a tharla i gcomhaltas na Dála seo de dhroim Martin Cullen, comhalta do dháilcheanntar Phort Láirge, a éirí as oifig.

The Labour Party will be supporting this motion to move the writ for the overdue by-election in the Waterford constituency.

The by-election is necessary arising from the resignation of Martin Cullen due to his unfortunate ill-health. I trust that he is recovering and will be restored to a good quality of life. Martin Cullen resigned on 23 March and there is no valid reason for delaying the by-election this long. The people of Waterford are under-represented in the Dáil and should and must have their full compliment of Dáil Deputies. There has hardly been a time in the history of the State when full representation has been more necessary.

As of 30 April, the live register for Waterford stood at 14,291. This is an increase of 1,216 on the same date last year. The live register in the Waterford exchange area is 12,045 while it is 2,246 for the Dungarvan area. In the Waterford exchange area 1,685 males and 988 females under 25 years of age are on the live register. The comparative figures for Dungarvan are 279 males and 131 females. These figures do not include the people from the Waterford constituency who have been forced to emigrate.

Against this background, the absolute need to have the full complement of Dáil Deputies is all too apparent. The Government will almost certainly not agree to holding the Waterford by-election, or indeed the by-elections in Donegal and Dublin South. The very strong possibility is that it will lose all three, thereby ending up in a very precarious position regarding its Dáil majority. The fact that the Dublin South writ has not been moved is odd, considering that George Lee resigned his seat on 8 February, six weeks before Martin Cullen resigned.

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