Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Okay. Local public representatives do not know where to go. In addition, recently I and my colleagues in the Rural Independent Group raised in the Dáil the issue of the Mackinnon report and the local government changes proposed for Cork City Council and Cork County Council. Again, these are senseless changes that are nothing less than power grabs by the city council. There is no democracy in them. The locals on both sides of the city and county border are not happy with these changes. The people in offices who are making these detrimental decisions have no concept of what they are doing.

In addition, I neither support nor agree with the agreement reached between the councils last Monday week. Many people in areas such as Ballincollig, who are now being forced into the city, are not happy either. It is another example of democracy being thrown out the window. Councillors work tirelessly, day and night, for their communities. Councillors such as Kevin Conway, Marcia D'Alton, June Murphy, Danny Collins and many more are totally opposed to the destructive extension of the city boundary in Cork. It appears that the only supporters of this merger are those who back the establishment. If it goes ahead, the decision will have devastating consequences for County Cork. However, I hope common sense will prevail and that those who back the establishment will change and listen to the people who elected them. I am delighted to hear that the Fianna Fáil councillors are now speaking strongly against this, even though a couple of weeks ago when I and the Rural Independent Group brought forward a motion on the issue in the House the silence from that party was deafening. Its Members rejected the motion, which could have led to kicking out the Mackinnon report.

People in offices who decide on such detrimental changes have no understanding of the areas they are changing. With regard to the new recommendations, I have noted that in many constituencies voters who had been moved from their traditional constituencies for the last election have been moved back in, but in other cases voters have been moved out. This is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. It does not make sense. A number of voters around the country still feel disengaged from local politics and their public representatives. I plead with the Minister of State to listen to the concerns I have raised. If this continues to happen democracy will be thrown out the window.

I see no provision in the Bill that seeks to amend the blatant errors of taking areas such as north Dunmanway, Enniskeane, Murragh and parts of Newcestown out of Cork South-West. I agree with the Constituency Commission on leaving areas such as Castletownbere, Cahermore, Eyeries, Allihies, Bere Island, Ardgroom, Dursey Island, Adrigole and Glengarriff in the constituency, as they should stay in Cork. Serious consideration should be given to shifting Lauragh to the constituency of Cork South-West, as it surrounds the area and the townlands. If that happened, I would seriously consider supporting the Bill. However, it is another piece of undemocratic work introduced by pencil pushers in offices who do not know the lie of the land.

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