Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will not argue about what the commission has done in this case. I accept that we have an independent commission, although I do not particularly like it. My constituents in north Meath and east Meath do not particularly like it. The Meath East constituency has been carved out on two occasions at this stage, and people feel disenfranchised and put into areas within which they do not naturally fall. This is particularly the case in east Meath. They feel very left out, and now the people of Drumcondra, Meath Hill, Posseckstown, Carrickleck, Teevurcher and Cormeen will feel left out in Cavan-Monaghan. I have no doubt about that.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank sincerely the people, the entire constituency, who have voted for me in previous elections, particularly in this area. I have developed a very special relationship with the people in north County Meath as a Teachta Dála. They have been very good to me, and I hope I have been good to them and served them in the way in which they want me to do so. Obviously, I continue to be one of the Deputies for that entire constituency until the next election. This boundary commission does not change our current representation or our current representative function. My constituents are very good, decent, hard-working people and have always been my friend, and I hope I have been their friend. I am still their Teachta Dála, and boundary changes will not change that. We must change the way we do these things. It is not fair to lump, people into different constituencies simply for the sake of maths. Yes, it is one person, one vote, but we also need people to have some connection with their representatives.

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