Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to make a couple of points concerning this Bill. I will start by looking back at the 14 election campaigns in which I was involved with the late Tony Gregory in Dublin Central. I was thinking of the various changes in that constituency at different times. The East Wall area where I live, which to me is very much Dublin Cental, was out of the constituency at one stage, whereas areas such as Ballyfermot and Inchicore were included. On another occasion, we had the Fairview and Marino areas in Dublin Central, which are now in Deputy Finian McGrath's constituency.

The Bill before us proposes changes to Dublin Central, so I wish to examine how and why this is so. Another electoral commission is suggesting radical changes to Dublin Central, both in the area and number of seats. The Bill is supposed to be part of the agenda for political reform but there are more matters to examine in terms of political reform, particularly the work of the House and how we can make it more relevant and efficient. It must also be more representative of the Ireland we live in, including community issues.

The first step was to examine the work of Deputies to see exactly what we do and are supposed to be doing. Reform of the Oireachtas, including the work of Deputies, should have determined the number of Deputies required. While I may be somewhat cynical, I am just wondering about a pre-election promise to reduce the number of Deputies without examining what is needed. Real research into political reform should have happened first, including the work of Deputies. That might have indicated that we need even fewer Deputies than the proposed reduction of eight seats. It might also have considered other aspects because I am not too sure if the needs of constituencies were taken into account. It seems that a situation demanded by the Government drove the process, rather than the reform process, including Deputies' work, leading to the solution. It is like putting the cart before the horse, so that the evidence will fit the required result. Some €2.2 million is being saved by reducing Dáil membership but that sum could have been saved in other ways. We could have examined expenses and allowances, including those for leaders and political parties. We could also have examined pensions, which should have been addressed first, rather than what is happening with this legislation.

The Constitution requires that constituency boundaries should be revised every 12 years, but does that mean that it has to bring about such a massive change as proposed by this Bill? We will lose eight Deputies and there are changes to approximately ten constituencies. This cannot be just a box-ticking exercise concerning the programme for Government, without due regard for what is really needed for political reform. It has been suggested that reducing the number of Deputies will mean more focus on their national legislative role. However, that presupposes that other work is being done concerning the role of local authorities, officials and councillors in local government. That should have occurred first before considering the Dáil.

What is happening will not bring that about in a significant way. Certain rural Deputies will now have to move through a wider area, including more counties. I am thinking of those in Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo. An important factor is the ability of Deputies to be in touch with their constituents. Despite social media and e-mail, constituents like to have personal contact with their local representatives, whether at meetings or clinics. While Deputies will face such difficulties in some rural areas, I do not face that physical geographical challenge in Dublin Central. In fact, the constituency is so reduced that it certainly makes canvassing and leafleting much more manageable. However, I have lost major areas and communities that I still represent. I do not have any new areas, but I am thinking of those areas that have been lost to Dublin West and Dublin North West. I do not envy the political aspirants there, or the Deputies in my own or other areas who are now taking this on. While there may be an existing constituency, Deputies obviously want to be re-elected so they will have extra work in order to make an impact in their new areas.

The proposed changes will mean marginalising certain sections of Dublin Central. The number of seats is being reduced to three, yet the two local authority wards have five and six councillors each. There is a suggestion that might be increased, but there is something awry if at the same time we are reducing the number of Deputies. These changes are going against population growth trends in Dublin Central. The readjustments are more reflective of the electoral register than the population.

Residential vacancy rates in Dublin central are very high. At the last census, it was over 25% in many parts. These empty residencies, many in relatively new buildings, will be re-occupied so there will be changes. We also have an extremely high turnover in private rented accommodation in Dublin Central, so people are constantly moving off the electoral register. Equally, however, people are coming onto the register, sometimes in higher numbers than those leaving. There is a real danger that we will have disproportionate under-representation in the Dublin Central constituency, yet we will have to wait a decade or so before that can be redressed.

There are significant numbers of foreign national residents in Dublin Central. While a number of them are on the electoral register for local elections, many are not. They have issues and difficulties and are in touch with me and other Deputies. Sometimes those numbers are not taken into account. If the proposed changes for Dublin Central go ahead, there could even be a constitutional challenge, if required, to ensure fair representation.

There seems to be a contradiction about whether smaller or larger constituencies will favour more representation by women. My views on this matter are known; I am not in favour of quotas because I think women are quite capable of being elected on their own behalf. Obviously, I would like to see more women in the Dáil but, equally, I would like to see more representation for other groups. There is a certain age cohort that is not represented in the House and other groups are not represented either.

I cannot finish my contribution without mentioning that I represent the Independent seat that was held for 27 years by, Tony Gregory, the longest serving Independent Deputy. Regardless of how people may feel about the late Mr. Gregory's politics or policies, I do not think there is any doubt about his integrity and the principled approach he took, based on fairness and social justice. What is happening in Dublin Central could be interpreted as a cute piece of social engineering to enable the sustainability of two other constituencies that do not have an Independent representation, at the potential cost of the longest held Independent seat in our history.

I am one of the Independent representatives on the Constitutional Convention, which is another example of putting the cart before the horse. That is another issue the convention could have taken on.

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