Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They were badly caught out on such matters. We are not going to go down that particular route again. There will be a local government boundary review which will report by the end of May. It will give potential candidates an opportunity to examine the boundaries and decide if they want to contest independently or with political parties. Municipal districts will consist of between six and ten seats. If somebody secures 8% of the vote on the first count he or she will have a good chance of being elected. If a person cannot secure that proportion of the vote then he or she will have to take a serious look at themselves and will not be able to blame the system. People will vote for whomever they want and that is democracy. A quota of 8% is a modest requirement for people who have secured the genuine warmth of his or her electorate rather than the cold winds which all of us feel from time to time. The quote is reflected in the terms of reference. The areas that we have picked and their size will give people opportunities. I disagree with Senator Landy's comment that candidates from smaller parties stand no chance of being elected. Independents or smaller parties will have a much better chance than they do now under the present system which consists of many three and four seat constituencies.