Changes will do little to dispel apathy

After the 1977 general election, the gerrymandering aspect was taken out of politics with the establishment of an independent Constituency Commission.

The initiation of such a commission removed the impulse of the Government of the day to redraw constituency boundaries, when the 12-year review was due, to their electoral advantage.

Nobody can seriously challenge the inherent independence of the most recent commission overhaul of those boundaries, and while the latest redrawal will probably disadvantage some sitting TDs, the point of the exercise is to improve voter representation.

That is the pertinent point and within that context, it must be wondered whether the emerging voting pattern of recent years, which has seen a leaning towards smaller parties and independents, is well-served by the latest carve-up.

Without any doubt, it will be to the advantage of the major parties like Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour and they all agree that the boundary changes will enhance their opportunities for an increased vote at the next general election, especially with more three-seater constituencies coming into the frame.

Although the commission came back with major changes, about 12 of the pivotal developments which will happen coincided with submissions made by Fianna Fáil headquarters, with support from Fine Gael for half of them.

There was also the intriguing transfer of less than a mere 1,000 voters from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s constituency of Dublin Central to Dublin North West.

His brother Noel Ahern had submitted that 5,000 voters should have been transferred back to their original constituency, and the submission had the support of

Fianna Fáil headquarters, the Labour and Green parties.

A letter from the Taoiseach’s constituency office argued that there should be no change, and, in the event, the transfer of just a fraction of voters from the extreme corner of his constituency will not impact on Bertie Ahern’s strong Drumcondra base.

This shift is tiny in comparison to other constituencies, such as the 15,119 voters who will be voting in Cork North West instead of Cork South Central the next time out as a result of being transferred.

Given the fact that the recommendations of five of the last six commissions were translated into law, those of the most recent one will, more than likely, be enacted into legislation as well, with a consequently changed political landscape for the next general election.

Both Meath and Leitrim will be split, with the possibility that the latter will actually have no TDs. There will also be an extra constituency, bringing the total to 43, although the number of Dáil deputies will remain the same at 166.

Criticism of the pending changes has been levelled by the Green Party, Sinn Féin and Independents whose obvious concern is how the revamping of the constituencies will impact on them.

If, as general consensus would have it, the changes will benefit the major parties, it would appear that they will do nothing to dispel the political apathy which has been so glaring among young people in recent elections.

There has been a growing pattern in the support of smaller parties and Independents, by a considerable section of the electorate who are disillusioned with the main political parties.