Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

At a minimum, the proposed constituency name must be changed to "Donegal-Cavan-Sligo-Leitrim", or whatever. One cannot do that to people. It is simply wrong. That point made, Fianna Fáil reserves the right to table amendments on Committee Stage.

On the broader electoral reform agenda, I realise that we are waiting for an independent commission to interpret the new local election areas. I did not have the benefit of the Minister's presence when I made a contribution on the matter in the House previously. I know there will be a report but the criteria and terms of reference provided for local elections seem to leave it very much open for Kilkenny, Sligo and other borough councils to elect an additional five councillors where such a borough council is abolished. Based on a figure of 8,430, Sligo will be entitled to only the minimum number of 18 councillors, which applies everywhere. It should therefore be entitled to a further four to bring the number to 22. That stands to reason, as Sligo is the ninth largest urban centre in the country and is even larger than the Minister's own city of Kilkenny.