Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

Parts of the four provinces will fall within that one constituency area. From that point of view, we might examine the provision of single seat constituencies for the European Parliament in the future. The new constituency in which Longford-Westmeath will be placed, that of the old Connacht-Ulster constituency, covers a massive area, illustrated by the long distance from Malin Head in Donegal to the furthermost part of Clare or to my parish of Castlepollard.

Because I am under the three-line Whip of the Fianna Fáil Party, to which I signed a pledge when I took the oath for the office I hold, I certainly will have to support the passage of this Bill, but I do so reluctantly and with a heavy heart.