Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It proposes to implement the recommendations of the constituency commission's report of 2012, which included a reduction in the number of Dáil constituencies from 43 to 40 and a reduction in the number of Deputies from 166 to 158. These changes follow a commitment in the programme for Government. For some time, there has been growing demand to reduce the number of Deputies. While there are arguments to be made regarding the appropriate number of constituents per Deputy, the main reason for the calls to reduce the number of Deputies is largely attributable to general disillusionment among the public with the body politic.

As somebody who was elected as a Deputy for the first time in 2011, I was initially surprised by the great volume of work individual Deputies face daily and the wide range of issues with which they must deal. The reason for this heavy workload has much to do with the fact that the Irish enjoy a unique level of access to their public representatives. This is a positive aspect of our electoral system, and our democracy has been the stronger for it. Ireland differs from other countries in that it is very easy for any member of the public to make contact with his local Deputy if he so wishes. It is critical that members of the public have direct contact with local Deputies so they can outline their views or concerns regarding certain policy matters. This allows Deputies such as me to outline various policy decisions and the rationale therefor. It allows me to take on board people's views as to where improvements can be made and bring these concerns back to the Government. This level of contact with the people is very significant. It is vital that we do not lose touch with the people we are here to serve. We must not allow Deputies to become overstretched such that they cannot reasonably meet the needs of their constituents. With that in mind, I believe the modest decrease in the number of Deputies, as proposed, represents a sensible start. This measure, along with the proposed abolition of the Seanad, will represent a major reduction in the number of Members and the Oireachtas.

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government recently brought forward proposals for the reform of local government. They include the abolition of town councils and a 40% reduction in the number of councillors. If implemented, the result will be a vastly reduced number of public representatives nationwide.

With regard to the changes recommended by the boundary commission in my constituency, I am saddened by the decision to move west Cavan out of the Cavan-Monaghan constituency. It is far from ideal when county lines are breached. For years, people were calling for Leitrim to be reunited. Unfortunately, this appears to have happened at Cavan's expense.

There are a number of joint services covering Cavan and Monaghan and the two counties have always worked well together. The new amalgamated VEC will serve both counties, as does the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Cavan at present. On a purely administrative basis, I envisage problems. Cavan County Council, for example, will now receive representations from four Deputies in Cavan-Monaghan along with five Deputies in the new Sligo-Leitrim constituency. These are the sorts of issues that will arise from the decision to divide Cavan. It could be that what appears good on paper is not always practical on the ground, especially in rural areas with a dispersed population.

Based on the results of the 2011 census, I note the new Cavan-Monaghan constituency will be one of only five in which the population per Deputy will be over 30,000. If the Seanad is abolished, it will mean the number of Oireachtas members in Cavan-Monaghan will be reduced from seven to four. As part of the reform of local government, the number of county councillors in Cavan County Council will be reduced from 25 to 18, and the number in Monaghan County Council will be reduced from 20 to 18. All the town councils in the constituency are to be abolished.

Some people have argued that the reduction in numbers has not gone far enough. In any reasonable analysis, this represents a truly seismic decrease in the number of public representatives at local level. However, we must tread carefully because if we were to go any further at this point, there would be a danger of throwing the baby out with the bath water. As I stated, the level of interaction between the people and public representatives and the ease of access have constituted a strength of our democracy. While I accept that reform is necessary, I believe it is important that this level of connectivity be maintained in so far as it is possible.

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