Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will pick up where I left off on Tuesday.

We are being presented with a fait accompli. As with much debate in the House, the train has left the station but we are only now being asked to discuss the fate of its passengers and its direction. The reduction in the number of MEPs from 12 to 11 is regrettable and damages democracy. Across the political spectrum, we often hear that Europe is remote from people, that people do not know who their MEPs are or that we need to bring democracy closer to people. A number of years ago, we used to have 16 MEPs and most people were able to rattle off the names of their regions' MEPs.

The Bill is a retrograde step. For example, I never suspected that I would wind up in the Ireland north constituency, since I live in the middle of County Laois. People on the Kilkenny border between Durrow and Johnstown and people in the village of Cullahill are now in the same constituency as the people of Inishowen, Achill Island and Connemara. It is a large constituency.

The two four-seaters will make it difficult for MEPs to represent people, but Dublin's constituency of three seats will make it difficult for independent and smaller parties' voices to be heard in the European Parliament.

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