Bigger constituencies for a better choice

IN the coming months the constituency commission will be redrawing boundaries to accommodate the changes in population reflected in the 2006 census.

Some accused the commission last time of favouring three-seat constituencies which are well recognised as being less democratic and proportional than larger constituencies.

However, the commission is restricted by the Electoral Act to creating constituencies with only three, four or five seats. Some counties like Donegal, Kerry, Meath and Tipperary were entitled to six seats on the basis of population, but these had to be split into two three-seat constituencies.