Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before I call on the Leader to respond, I cannot help but speak. I must be impartial and independent in the Chair, but I read a book on the history of Cork County Council from 1899 to 1999. It is the first time in almost 120 years that the peninsula area of Cork, including Mizen Head, Sheep's Head, the Beara Peninsula and so on has no representation. It begs the question as to why that is the case. It is an unusual situation. It is not good for rural Ireland.

I met someone recently who lives on Bere Island, and has to travel by boat to Castletownbere and then travel 32 miles to meet a public representative. The quota of almost 3,500 votes in that area is quite extraordinary given the geographic size of the constituency. Had the figure been 1,700 the last time, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin would each have a representative and Independents and other parties would have greater representation. For six inhabited islands and three very big peninsulas to have no representation means something is radically wrong. I cannot comment any further.

Perhaps the constitutionality of representation in Ireland could be looked at. Even sparsely populated states like Arizona and Alaska are guaranteed two senators in the United States. Sometimes parts of rural Ireland are guaranteed no representation. There must be something radically wrong. With those balanced comments, I call on the Leader to respond.