Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I will not, by analogy, press for a renaming of my constituency to Tipperary South-Waterford West. Senator Browne has a valid point in that county council boundaries often do not coincide substantially with electoral boundaries. In County Tipperary, for example, we have North Tipperary County Council and South Tipperary County Council and two electoral constituencies, Tipperary North and Tipperary South. However, the boundaries of the county councils and constituencies do not at all coincide with the result, for instance, that councillors serving on South Tipperary County Council cast their vote in Dáil elections in the Tipperary North constituency.

This causes difficulties in terms of making representations for the areas that arguably fall between two stools. The positive way of viewing this is that voters may be able to drum up Oireachtas Members in both constituencies on their behalf. On the other hand, however, issues may fall through the cracks. Changes in regard to electoral boundaries are dependent to some degree on population. Nevertheless, I hope that when this exercise is again undertaken, after the next election, this matter will be considered by the commission.

There may be a perception that the situation in County Tipperary is entirely straightforward in that the constituencies are close to the national average in terms of representation in proportion to population. However, there is this complication of the crossover of county council and constituency areas. Another issue is that much of the rural hinterland of Tipperary town that for decades was part of the Tipperary South constituency has gradually been transferred into the Tipperary North constituency. Many people living in that area find it unsatisfactory that they are located at least 20 miles from Thurles and 30 miles from Nenagh. Some have to travel across mountains to access the services available in the central locations of the Tipperary North constituency.

I am not sure why a part of west Waterford has been included for some time in the Tipperary South constituency. One must go up a mountain track to reach this part of County Waterford, which is four or five miles from Clonmel. It seems evident there will be substantial population swings by the time of the next census. For example, most of the towns in Tipperary are growing rapidly for the first time. This may make it possible to introduce some rationalisation of the electoral boundaries. It is desirable that this should be done and that towns should be connected more effectively with their hinterlands. Any such changes in regard to County Tipperary should conform, if possible, to the boundary line between north County Tipperary and south County Tipperary.