Constituency plan ‘will push out Independents and small parties’

DRAMATIC changes in Dáil constituencies announced yesterday could militate against smaller parties and Independent candidates at the next General Election.

The Constituency Commission has proposed increasing the number of constituencies from 42 to 43 and creating additional three-seat constituencies bringing the total to 18, compared to 12 five-seaters.

The Labour Party, Green Party, Sinn Féin and Independent TDs criticised the move towards more three-seaters, saying the revisions would firmly favour larger parties. Green party chairman John Gormley said it would make it more difficult for smaller parties and Independents to win seats.

"In recent years there has been a clear trend of moving away from five- seat constituencies and that is regrettable," he said.

Sinn Féin's Arthur Morgan said fewer five-seaters would prevent the emergence of new voices and make the Dáil less representative.

Independent Finian McGrath, whose seat in Dublin North Central now looks vulnerable, condemned the report describing it as elitist, undemocratic and a "subtle attempt to squeeze out Independents".

The changes, which reflect a major shift of population to conurbations on the Eest Coast, have resulted in extra seats for Dublin Mid West and Kildare North, both of which will become four-seaters. Meath, currently a five-seater, will be split into two three-seat constituencies. Two other constituencies will lose seats Dublin North Central will drop from four seats to three and the five-seater Cork North Central will drop to four.

However, as one of the sitting TDs, Danny Wallace is due to retire, the change is unlikely to affect the four remaining TDs though it will mean a net loss for Fianna Fáil.

Wholesale boundary shifts are proposed for four out of the five Cork constituencies. Fianna Fáil's Batt O'Keeffe is perceived as the sitting deputy who will be affected most by the changes. His Ballincollig base has been moved from Cork South Central to the three-seater Cork North West, where there are already two sitting Fianna Fáil TDs. Last night, he was reflecting on whether to remain in South Central or to switch to North West for the 2007 election.

The most eye-catching change is the division of Leitrim into two, with the north of the county remaining with Sligo and South Leitrim now forming a new three-seat constituency with Roscommon. The change, which has met with angry local reaction, raises the possibility that there will be no TD representing Leitrim after the next election. The county's only TD, John Ellis, is likely to stand in Roscommon-South Leitrim.

Westmeath TD Donie Cassidy (FF) also faces difficulties in the newly-formed four-seater Longford-Westmeath constituency. His stronghold of Castlepollard will not form part of the three-seat Meath West constituency.

The reaction of the two largest parties to the changes were muted. Fine Gael said it was "comfortable" with the changes while Fianna Fáil declined to comment other than saying the report would be referred to the Minister for the Environment. Privately, the parties were saying their prospects would not be materially affected by the changes with potential losses being offset by gains elsewhere.