Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will make one point that will perhaps provide some balance. Deputy Wynne might disagree with me on this. I will talk about the Limerick City constituency and why we should challenge the idea that the constituencies should align with county boundaries. Limerick and Waterford cities are situated on the county boundaries and extend into other counties. Perhaps I am in agreement with Deputy Danny Healy-Rae who said it does not make sense to divide Rathmore, which is on the Cork-Kerry border on the Blackwater river. Neither does it make sense to divide Limerick or Waterford cities. County boundaries are not necessarily the appropriate boundaries to align constituencies with.

Notwithstanding that, we are all proud of the counties we come from. I am certainly proud to come from Limerick and I think all Members of this House are passionate about their counties, as they should be. However, if we are to have the proper administration of national and local government, we need to move away from seeing county boundaries as sacrosanct from the point of view of administration. They are absolutely sacrosanct from the point of view of Gaelic games. I would never agree with changing the boundaries with respect to our sporting loyalties. They are set and rightly so. However, when it comes to managing our country, we should challenge the idea.

I was not due to speak, but I asked to do so - I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to - because I heard a one-sided debate with respect to how constituencies must align with county boundaries. That does not need to be absolutely the case. In the case of Limerick, there is already a precedent for looking at how the area can be managed separately. We have a metropolitan area strategic plan which includes southern parts of County Clare, including Shannon and Shannon Airport.

The Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy aligns with that area as well. It does make sense to me that there is not a line going through the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area. It is its own economic entity, notwithstanding that it straddles two counties, and in that regard we should challenge the dogma whereby county boundaries and constituency boundaries must align.

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