Discrepancy between census and Dáil figures

OVER the next few weeks, we will have to listen to a lot of legal, constitutional and technical arguments about the merits and demerits of holding another boundary revision in advance of the next general election.

As a candidate in the forthcoming general election, I have to admit to having an interest in this matter. Nonetheless, one cannot but remark on the striking discrepancy between the census figures for 2006 and those used for the purpose of drawing the current Dáil boundaries.

Dublin West, with a population of 92,800, is a three-seat constituency while Cork North-Central, with a lesser population, of 91,368 has four seats. Dublin North, a four-seater, has a population of 119,984 while Dun Laoghaire and Dublin South, both five-seaters, have populations of 113,936 and 118,545 respectively.

Anyone can see that electing a government using the current boundaries would not be a democratic mandate.

Between the wrong boundaries and the inaccurate registers, the next general election could be the least democratic election in Ireland since the abolition of the rotten boroughs in 1896.

Cllr Leo Varadkar

Rosehaven

Castleknock

Dublin 15