Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

In my constituency of Meath West, I was one of the few who, with Senator Ellis, was disenfranchised in that we could not vote for ourselves, nor could our families or the people of the parish. When is the right time to do the right thing? The county of Meath has been split in three parts. What is the logic in being told the county boundary is sacrosanct? It is time to examine this matter and to put together the figures when we have clear heads.

The power of the parish and the county is visible in Croke Park, with which the Cathaoirleach is familiar. Without those people we would not be here today. We should not be afraid to stand up for the people we represent who may ask us after mass on a Sunday why we let the Government do this to them. It is the people who are being disenfranchised, not the Members of the Oireachtas. We are birds of passage.

Each area is entitled to fair representation. I do not speak of the larger towns where people there have always had a bigger slice of the Exchequer cake than people in rural areas. I could get very emotional about this if I wanted to.