Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like the Acting Chairman, Deputy Joanna Tuffy, I was a proud member of the Convention on the Constitution. I acknowledge the work of the chairman, Tom Arnold, as well as the secretariat and academic staff headed up by Art O’Leary. The work they did in galvanising the members of the convention to debate in a resourceful and tolerant manner is to be commended, as well as the way the convention arrived at its conclusions.

I am glad and relieved we are now debating the convention’s fourth report on the Dáil electoral system. The report is the culmination of the work of convention members over two weekends. On the first weekend, we examined the PR-STV system, proportional representation through the single transferable vote, and alternatives to it. The first recommendation was to maintain PR-STV but modify it. That decision shows the high regard people have for our current system. I agree with Deputy Tuffy on how our constituencies should be arranged and how we vote. Deputy Stanton and I have spoken about the whole issue around whether we should have single-seat constituencies elected by PR-STV.

The convention also recommended larger multi-seat constituencies and, surprisingly to public representatives, more Deputies elected, essentially having one for every 30,000. Talking to convention members, I learned they like the fact Deputies and public representatives are close to them in their communities, of them, from them, being involved and accessible. That is one of the hallmarks of our system that is to be commended. Whether it is Deputies Ó Snodaigh, Ann Phelan, Tuffy or Stanton, we are living in the communities we represent, we are from them, not aloof from them. This is to be welcomed and never to be taken away from our system of politics.

Another interesting point I learned from the convention was that many of its members wanted to see larger constituencies. Would that mean, however, that we would still be close to the people or would we lose touch with them? Aside from the simplistic view as a practitioner that we would have to cover more ground and service more people, a large constituency will make us more distant from the communities we represent.

Two weeks ago, I attended a conference in Washington D.C. Members from parliaments in other jurisdictions were stunned that Irish parliamentarians would knock on constituents’ doors every couple of days and hold regular clinics without appointments. It is interesting that we try to get a balance between being a legislator and, as Deputy Tuffy said, being a Teachta Dála, the messenger of the people. We must always strive to get the balance between contributing to legislation and having time to participate in debates and committee work. Having the privilege of being the chair of the health committee, I have come to appreciate the work I do in my committee which has given me a different perspective on being a Teachta Dála.

We do not sell the committee system well or advocate enough for it, however. We need to do that more. For example, today the health committee held two passionate meetings on Lyme disease and cosmetic surgery. If we did not have a committee system, we would not have heard testimonies about the effects of both. Equally, without the committee system we would not have been able to hold the HSE to account for five and a half hours last Tuesday night on many issues, an exercise which one could not do in this Chamber.

When people speak about reform of politics, I wonder do they know what they actually want. For example, if Deputy Ó Snodaigh came to my clinic asking me to advocate on his behalf to get him a medical card, his footpath or pothole fixed but I told him that as chairman of the health committee my only job was to be a public health advocate and legislator, he would belittle me in the media and social media, saying I would not do what he asked me to do. The convention supported the work we do in trying to get that balance. I accept we cannot always get it right but we do try.

I am very vexed by the electoral boundary commission’s changes to Dáil constituencies, in particular the changes it made to Cork South Central. It is not about me losing half my home area in the constituency or the reduction of one seat.

My issue is with the way it discommoded a community by putting it in a no-man's land where its members had nothing in common with other constituents in terms of geography or shared issues. This applies to many parts of the country where different communities have little in common other than the fact that they are from the same county. In the case I speak of a disservice was done to the people and to politicians because the boundary commission had an opportunity to bring real reform to how Deputies are elected and how constituencies are composed but the question was ducked.

The electoral commission initiative was supported by 97% of the Constitutional Convention, it is in the programme for Government, and the Minister of State said in her address to the House that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, will put it in place. The electoral commission is required because issues that must be examined include access to postal voting, increasing electoral turnout, the accuracy of the electoral register and civic, social and political education, CSPE, in schools to ensure people participate in the voting process.

I agree with Deputy Stanton and am not convinced by comments on the length of the polling day. Presiding officers say that there is very little voting activity early in the morning on polling days. We need to change the voting system to allow for absentee votes from people abroad on holidays or for work reasons. We must assist those who otherwise would be unable to vote on voting day. Other European countries and the United States facilitate such voting.

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