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

Obviously, electoral reform is a huge issue. Many young people want the right to vote. Maybe we have to look at implementing rules and regulations regarding people who do not vote but who have the right to vote. Many people in this country, including my namesake, gave their life for that. It is sad to think that many people could not care to take the journey down the road to vote on voting day. I think a regulation in that regard has to be introduced.

Also, I am very worried, when it comes to electoral reform, about how the political system could be interfering, especially in boundaries and the reissuing of boundaries. A number of years ago, in my constituency we lost part of Dunmanway and lost Enniskean, Castletown Kinneigh and Newcestown. I will not go any further. I could probably name many of the west Cork townlands but you might get annoyed with me, a Cheann Comhairle. The people in those areas keep telling me they have no connection with the constituency they were put into. These are west Cork towns, villages and areas, and these people cannot understand for the life of them why they were taken out and put into the north Cork, Macroom and Ballincollig area. They keep coming to me. I have no issue with that or with trying to help them, but it does not make any sense that they have no relation to their constituency. Take the people of Enniskean. Ballineen is almost the same town and it is split down the middle, so one area is in one constituency and Ballineen is in the Cork South-West constituency. My worry is that this is to be looked at through new boundaries, electoral reform and all these commissions that are out there, but it is very strongly politically linked. It looks to me sometimes that some of these are nice little movements. The last seat might be picked up by a party that has seen its stance weakened in political society. We need to find out who in the name of God is on these committees and why the work is not being carried out by an independent commission.

As for the electoral register, I myself was a registrar years ago, and God knows they used to do a good job when there were the people on the ground carrying it out. Unfortunately, they are not there any longer.

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