Constituencies: The Labour Party has called on the Government to establish a new constituency commission to redraw constituencies in the light of the latest census figures.
However Fine Gael has remained silent on the issue, and the Government parties will make no decision until it gets the advice of Attorney General Rory Brady.
There was some surprise on the Government backbenches that the issue has been referred to the Attorney General as the Department of the Environment has consistently said that there would not be a need for a constituency revision until the final census figures were published next year.
However, Ministers decided that a legal ruling on the issue was required, raising the possibility that a surprise constituency revision might take place before the general election which is expected in May.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said last night while no politician liked the notion of boundary changes at this stage the issue should not be decided by personal or party political interest.
"The basic constitutional requirement is this: the constituencies must be revised by reference to the population figures 'as ascertained by the last preceding census'."
Mr Rabbitte said the "last preceding census" was three months ago. The population figures derived from that census should be the basis for a constituency revision despite the argument of Minister for the Environment Dick Roche that they were preliminary figures.
"The figures are not an estimate, a projection or an extrapolation. Experience shows they are accurate to a degree that more than satisfies the needs of a constituency review commission.
"What is it, therefore, about today's figures that allows the Government to dismiss them as unreliable or unusable?
"While no previous judicially sanctioned constituency reviews have permitted variations from the national average of more than 8 per cent, these figures show a massive and unacceptable variation in the TD/population ratio throughout the State, ranging from a low of 22,787 (-10 per cent of the average) in Dún Laoghaire, to 30,993 in Dublin West (+21 per cent of the average).
"Furthermore, Dublin West breaches a specific constitutional requirement that a TD must represent not more than 30,000 people.
"The Government has already displayed a staggering inability to maintain a reliable electoral register; had indulged in a fanciful misadventure on electronic voting that was riddled with error; and now their complacent disregard for these population figures and their constitutional implications demonstrates an irresponsible and arrogant attitude towards the integrity of the electoral process."
Fine Gael was much more muted, with a spokesman saying the party was focused on its campaign in the existing 43 constituencies. It was late in the day to change those constituencies.
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent, whose constituency of Dublin North is one of those with a population ratio way above the national average, urged politicians to put aside the argument over electoral boundaries and focus on the real issues arising from the census.
"While it is important that fair political representation be given to each constituency, it is paramount that people living in areas which are experiencing a population boom receive adequate schools, hospitals and transport services. These are the real issues, and those squabbling over who may receive an extra Dáil seat should remember that.
"Increased population clusters around the capital throw up many challenges, such as integration for the migrant population living there and the impact on the environment that extra housing and traffic congestion bring.
"The cluster also demonstrates how the Government has failed to bring about a proper regional development strategy. While the east coast is struggling to provide an adequate number of schools, the west coast is dealing with school closures."
