Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. I am sorry the Minister, Deputy Hogan, was not in a position to remain in the House to hear the contributions of all Senators, particularly those made by Senators Barrett and Bradford. I endorse almost 100% of what those two Senators said in respect of electoral reform and what is going to happen to the three Border counties as a result of this carve-up that is the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012.

Political reform is not about window dressing. Clearly the Government and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government are attempting window dressing. One element of the Fine Gael Party manifesto put to the electorate before the last election was to reduce the number of Deputies in the Dáil by 20. I am totally opposed to that and would retain the numbers in the Dáil at the current strength. However, the Fine Gael Party promised the electorate to reduce the number of Deputies by 20, but now proposes to reduce the number in the Dáil by eight. Why?

In a previous debate in this House, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, stated it would require a change in the Constitution to reduce the number in the Dáil by 20. Did he not realise that before he made such a promise? Of course, he did. The reason the promise was made was that the Fine Gael Party in government never intended to carry it out. Senator Barrett said in his contribution that the Labour Party has been converted to the Fine Gael position. I am disappointed the Labour Party has caved in to the Taoiseach's spontaneous decision to abolish Seanad Éireann. The Fine Gael Party was dipping behind the Labour Party in the opinion polls coming up to the Fine Gael presidential dinner in the Burlington Hotel. That is the reason for that idea as there is no logical reason to back it up. Yes, I agree we need to reform the Seanad. We will have an opportunity to discuss it tomorrow. Let us be clear the reason the Seanad has not been functioning at its capacity since the foundation of the State is that no Government wanted a functioning Seanad, including my own party, which was in power for most of that time. That is the reality. Let us be honest, and to repeat the call of Senator Bradford, let us have a logical and reasoned debate.

It states in the terms of reference set out for the Constituency Commission that it should in observing the relevant provisions of the Constitution on Dáil Constituencies have regard to the total number of Members of the Dáil and the need to avoid as far as practicable the breach of county boundaries. The Constituency Commission has not adhered to the need to avoid breaching county boundaries. Under the Bill, 22 out of the 40 constituency boundaries will be breached. So much for the terms of reference.

The Minister said it was not possible to carry out the reform of the boundaries without breaching county boundaries. I beg to differ. It is possible but it all depends on what one sets out to do. Is it a coincidence that we in the Border counties, as Senator Barrett pointed out, are losing two Deputies while the people living in the east are gaining representation? Is that an accident? The same is happening in the Putting People First action programme as the concentration of local elected representatives will be on the east coast. That is not acceptable.

During the debate in the Dáil, Deputies Ó Caoláin, Heather Humphreys, O'Reilly and Smith pointed out the proposal to divide the Cavan-Monaghan constituency and to disenfranchise 13,000 from west and south Cavan and transfer them to the Sligo-Leitrim constituency and likewise disenfranchise 6,000 from south Donegal and put them into what Senator MacSharry referred to as the newly named Sligo-Leitrim constituency. These people do not belong anywhere. The politician who is fortunate to be elected to represent the 13,000 people from west and south Cavan and the 6,000 from south Donegal in the next Dáil must deal with four difference local authorities and I do not know how many HSE committees. That is the reality of the representation these people will get in this so-called reform of the Oireachtas. It is not acceptable. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, to take that message back to the Minister.

Senator Barrett said that the population of Cavan increased by 14% but I ask what do we get as a result from this Minister and this Government; we lose a seat and our county is divided.