Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 11, column 1, line 11, after “West” to insert “-Mayo South”.

Mar is eol don Aire, d'ardaigh mé an cheist seo ar Chéim an Choiste agus d'admhaigh an tAire nach bhfuil aon téarmaí tagartha maidir le ainmneacha na ndáilcheantar i téarmaí tagartha an coimisiúin. Mar sin, níl aon laincis ar an Dáil géilleadh do iarratas mhuintir Mhuigheó go ndéanfar an t-ainm a leasú go Gaillimh Thiar-Muigheó Theas. Má bhreathnaíonn muid ar seo, tá sé spéisiúil gur thug an tAire leithscéal nach mdéanfaí é seo, ar an mbunús go gcaithfeadh é a dhéanamh i ndáilcheantair eile. Mar a tharlaíonn, tá an fhadhb réitithe don Aire inniu, mar níl aon mholadh nó iarratas ann ó dhream ar bith i ndáilcheantar ar bith ach amháin dáilcheantar Gaillimh Thiar. Tá éileamh láidir ó mhuintir Mhuigheó freisin, atá sa dáilcheantar i nGaillimh Thiar anois, go n-aithneofar go bhfuil cuid de Mhuigheó istigh sa dáilcheantar agus táthar ag iarraidh go n-aithneofar é sin sa reachtaíocht.

Mar is eol don Aire, is as Contae Mhuigheó don Taoiseach, Muigheó láidir, agus tá dúchas Mhuigheó go smior ann. Táim cinnte go mbeadh an Taoiseach ag iarraidh go mbeadh aitheantas don chuid sin de Chontae Mhuigheó atá ag dul isteach le Gaillimh sa Bhille seo. Mar sin, creidim go mba cheart don Aire géilleadh don iarratas atá os comhair na Dála agus glacadh leis an t-aon leasú seo amháin. Leasú beag atá ann, leasú a thabharfadh an-sásamh do mhuintir Mhuigheó. Caithfidh mé a admháil, ní fhaca mé riamh dream ar bith níos dílse dá ndúchas agus dá gcontae ná muintir Mhuigheó. Is cuma cé chomh minic agus a thagann siad go Páirc an Chrócaigh nó cé chomh minic agus a bhuailtear iad, tagann siad ar ais an bhliain dár gcionn leis an flosc agus an fonn céanna tacaíocht a thabhairt dá bhfoireann fhéin.

When we discussed this on Committee Stage, the Minister rightly confirmed that there was nothing in the terms of reference about names for the Constituency Commission and, therefore, accepting this minor amendment would not undo or significantly change the work of the commission.

The other argument used by the Minister against accepting the amendment was the spurious grounds that there are constituencies that go across county borders with larger numbers in the county not mentioned in the constituency title as happens in the case of Galway West and Mayo South. There is one difference. Their elected representatives in Dáil Éireann are obviously happy that their counties are not mentioned in the name of the constituency. The people of south Mayo are very unhappy that their county is not mentioned in the designation of the new constituency of Galway West that comprises a significant part of Mayo South.

Therefore, I suggest that the Minister accepts this amendment because if he does so, we can move on very quickly. I do not think anybody is opposing the Bill or the remainder of it. Everybody in the House accepts the case for an independent commission in respect of the size and shape of constituencies. There is probably regret in Mayo that the Taoiseach decided to reduce the number of Teachta Dála or increase the number of people to be represented by Teachta Dála because it resulted in the inevitability that Mayo would no longer be one constituency confined within the bounds of County Mayo. It has created this situation whereby part of Mayo had to be put somewhere else - either with Sligo, Roscommon or Galway, with Galway being the county chosen. If the Minister asks the Taoiseach, I am sure he would be very supportive of this because as I said in Irish, the Taoiseach is a proud Mayo man. We all know the very famous song about Contae Mhaigh Eo. It is fair to say that county loyalty among the people of Mayo is as strong as in any county in Ireland if not stronger. County identification is very strong, particularly in the part of south Mayo that I will represent once this Bill is passed. Therefore, I ask the Minister to accept this minor amendment. There are no other amendments relating to it. Everybody else obviously accepts the naming of the constituencies in the rest of the country. The people in Mayo are the only ones looking for change. I cannot see what perversity is prevailing that the Minister cannot accept what is a simple amendment. I know my colleague, Deputy Calleary, will be speaking on this amendment and supporting the rest of the people of Mayo in their demand that their county be recognised in the naming of the new constituency of what I hope will be Galway West-Mayo South.

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