Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

I will do the best I can for the people of north Westmeath, who have been disenfranchised. I refer to people in my home village of Castlepollard and other villages such as Collinstown, Delvin, Fore, where my mother was bred, born and reared, Drumcree, Clonmellon, Riverdale, Whitehall and Crookedwood. People in such areas were not represented by a resident Member of the Dáil for many years. As Senator Coffey said, all politics is local. Every area deserves its fair share of representation in Dáil Éireann, as all areas enjoy at local authority level.

All Senators are aware that the register of electors is important. I am convinced that when a family moves into an area, the first person to know about it is the local postperson, whether it is a postman or a postwoman. Some years ago, the first person to know would have been the local doctor, priest or garda, but that is no longer the case. I propose that the Minister should consider, on a once-off pilot basis, giving responsibility to postpersons for compiling the next register of electors that will be required. They will carry out that function with 97% or 98% accuracy because they are familiar with everyone who lives in or moves into an area. I worked in such a position for four years and ten months when I was starting out in life. I know exactly what is involved in accurately tabulating and compiling the register of electors. It involves maintaining a list of those who are residing in an area until the date on which the register is published. At present, we are asking public servants in other fields to undertake the onerous task of compiling the register of electors. Such people do not knock on doors, call with post or visit on a weekly basis as postpersons do. The Minister should examine this suggestion to see what can be done to ensure the register of electors is as accurate as we all need it to be. I have made this suggestion in the House on previous occasions. I am aware that the former Minister, Deputy Roche, considered it when he was responsible for this area. If it is accepted, we will make a great deal of progress with the compilation of the register of electors.

The European Parliament elections have been mentioned. I am probably the longest-serving substitute in Europe for a Member of the European Parliament. This is my 25th year as a substitute. It gives me no great pleasure to say that people in the north Leinster area were disenfranchised again when the Longford-Westmeath Dáil constituency was placed in the Ireland North-West European Parliament constituency.