James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I thank the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, and the Constituency Commission for their hard work and equitable conclusions within geographical constraints. On the law of averages, we will see some discontent at the end of the process, particularly in the loss of one MEP serving the country. It was a bit rich of Deputy Barry Cowen to be so critical of this reforming Government when we are suffering from the corruption, fraud and cover-ups committed by former politicians from the Fianna Fáil Party he represents.

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