John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Nonetheless, I wish all the candidates well because, as I said, it is not an easy task to put one's name on the ballot paper, particularly in these times. Politics, in some lexicons, has become a dangerous place to be in many people's eyes. Credibility is an issue.

I agree with Senator Keane that we at the 11th hour in terms of the election, which has been set for Friday, 23 May. It has been very difficult for candidates who wish to contest the election and for the incumbents to see the constituencies altered so radically. As other Senators said, there is a lack of cohesion in that regard. Senator Barrett summed it up well when he said one constituency will stretch from Moneygall to Malin Head. It will be hard for candidates with the reduced number and with new sprawling constituencies.

The electorate is losing out to some extent. The EU is a victim of its own success with so many new member states, which we welcome. We welcome states like Croatia joining the EU. Further expansion is likely and is welcome but it should not be at the expense of political and public representation in countries like Ireland.

I do not envy anybody going out into these new sprawling constituencies and I suggest that after the election, we look at the nature and scale of the constituencies in an apolitical and independent fashion in the best interest of representation. The European Parliament is now a very important, potent and powerful body and we should not see any further reduction in our representation in the Parliament.