Roscommon is now added
A Dáil constituency review has recommended that west Cavan be removed from the Sligo/ Leitrim constituency but parts of North Roscommon have been added.
The commission stated that Sligo/Leitrim should remain a four seat constituency with South Donegal remaining and with the addition of Boyle,Ballyfarnon, Cootehall, Knockvicar and Keadue from Roscommon.
Some 13,150 county Cavan constituents in 36 electoral divisions will transfer to a five seat Cavan-Monaghan from Sligo-Leitrim.
It was also noted that in the period 2011-2016 the population of counties Donegal (-1.2%) and Mayo (-0.1%) fell. The population of counties Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Monaghan grew by less than 2%.
Fianna Fáil Deputy Marc MacSharry has given the changes the firm thumbs down saying: “It is inconceivable that consecutive Governments have continued to preside over a Constit-t uency Commission which continues to divide counties and disenfranchise local communities.”
“In the North West we have had a multitude of unnecessary division of counties with Leitrim, Cavan, Donegal and now Roscommon recklessly carved up showing total contempt for the integrity and contiguous nature of county boundaries and local communities.
“While the proposal to re-unite Co Cavan is something all sought and is welcome, to continue with the division of Donegal and to needlessly slice up County Roscommon proves that the current approach and interpretation off Consecutive Governments and their appointed Constituencies Commission is not fit for purpose and requires urgent reform”
“In my submission to the Constituencies Commission while proposing the reunification of both Donegal and Cavan and keeping Sligo Leitrim together was within the current con- stistitutional criteria the CommissionCo chose to ignorenore this and add insulinsult to injury by dividing County Roscommon.
“I am calling on government to immediately appoint an expert group to work out and suggest a formula which ensures county boundaries are never breached and that each county is assured of at least one representative in Dáil Éireann.
“In drawing up the current criteria as set out in Bunreacht Na hEireann in 1937 De Valera and his colleagues could not have foreseen the migration patterns and eastern conurbation we now see from Dundalk to Dublin to Waterford and on to Cork, Limerick and Galway.
“If we stand still and ignore this within a couple of generations we will see a proliferation of Dail representation with up to 80% of TDs in the greater Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Galway City catchments with multiple county constituencies the norm for the few TDs that make up the remaining 20%.
“Yes, it will be a challenge to strike a formula that ensures county boundaries are respected and to ensure at least one deputy in each County but the situation is critical and must be addressed. Preserving the status quo is not an option. The appropriate formula must be found and put to the people in a referendum for ratification.”