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

I can understand that, for some reasons, Members would like to have that reflected in the name of the constituency to demonstrate that they have more empathy for the constituency they will be in the future. We had a considerable population movement from Meath into Louth on the last occasion - twice as much as Mayo South going into Galway - and it did not change the name. It is still Louth. Senator Quinn would know that better than anyone.

I accept that one of the difficulties is to create the appropriate names. I did not subscribe to some of the names that came through the Electoral Commission. One of our Cabinet members said the names of one or two of them were more like a television soap than being representative of where the constituencies were actually located. Deputy Kevin Humphreys referred to one of them. However, if I were to change any word of this independent commission's proposals, people here would say that I was intervening, if even in a minor way. That would open up a debate on changing the boundaries of the commission. It could also lead to other suggestions being made that we were not operating in a spirit of total independence about these matters, including the names of these constituencies.