FF split over Kerry boundary plan
The submission by the party’s national top brass to the Constituency Commission suggesting the shake-up, which would see the county drop a TD, has been strongly criticised by grassroots members after it was revealed by the Irish Examiner.
With the commission looking at redrawing the political map of the country in time for the next general election, Fine Gael has called on it to consider expanding the Dáil from 166 to 168 members.
The party notes in its submission that the country’s population has increased by 871,000 — or 25% — since 1980, but the number of TDs has remained static.
Apart from the transfer of a south Dublin seat to north of the Liffey and the expansion of Louth into a five-TD birth, FG has recommended only minor changes to various boundaries.
An unlikely alliance between FG and Sinn Féin emerged over similar concerns regarding the number of three-seater constituencies in Dublin. Both parties want to see the back of them, as they feel they skew the PR system.
Labour has also urged the commission not to create more three seaters out of “expediency”.
More than half of the 326 submissions received by the commission are the result of a mass letter protest from the people of Leitrim.
The county suffers the embarrassment of being the only one in the country not to have elected a native TD in the election.
Protesters blame this on the decision to split the small county between two different constituencies.
Most correspondents suggest a link-up with Sligo to create a four-seater, which would be likely to allow Leitrim to regain its “democratic dignity”.
Newly appointed leader of the Seanad Donie Cassidy uses the case of Leitrim to try and explain his exit from the Dáil in May. He claims a similar county separation led to his failure to gain re-election in Longford-Westmeath where he fought a high- octane battle with FF rival Mary O’Rourke.
Roscommon FG TD Dennis Naughten suggests a solution to the Leitrim conundrum could come by creating a new constituency comprising his county and east Galway, thus allowing Leitrim to be unified once again in another entity.
The commission has also received a significant number of submissions from Carlow, demanding the return of 3,500 county voters who must currently do their democratic duty in Wicklow.
