The Government is expected to pass into law significant changes giving extra Dáil seats to Dublin's growing commuter belt and making boundary changes to almost two- thirds of the State's constituencies, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent.
Smaller parties and independents claimed last night that the report of the independent Constituency Commission, published yesterday, would favour the larger parties, while individual deputies such as Fianna Fáil's Mr Donie Cassidy and Mr Batt O'Keeffe said the proposed changes threatened their Dáil careers. The party's Mr John Ellis, of Sligo Leitrim, was also seen as threatened.
The Constituency Commission, which was established by the Government last year after census returns showed significant shifts in population, has recommended more dramatic changes than had been expected, with almost two- thirds of Dáil constituencies seeing changes in their boundaries or numbers of seats.
The growing population of the west of Co Dublin and its neighbouring counties is reflected in the proposed changing of Dublin Mid-West and Kildare North from three-seat to four-seat constituencies, and the splitting of five-seat Meath into two three-seat constituencies.
The splitting of Meath has knock- on effects for the north Leinster-north Connacht area, which gets a new constituency configuration. Part of Westmeath goes to the new Meath West constituency, while most of the county goes to a new Longford-Westmeath formation. Co Leitrim is to be divided between new Sligo-North Leitrim and Roscommon-South Leitrim constituencies.
The decline in population in some urban areas is reflected in Dublin North Central's relegation from being a four-seat to a three-seat constituency, and the loss of a seat by Cork North Central, which becomes a four-seater.
Apart from the addition or subtraction of seats and the creation of new constituencies through the merger or splitting of counties, some 103,105 people out of the 3.9 million population will be affected by boundary adjustments to 23 other constituencies. Some of these see large sections of ground moving, while others see very small groups of streets shifting across a constituency boundary. Just 15 of the current 42 constituencies remain unchanged. Overall the Commission recommends that there be 43 constituencies instead of the current 42 but that there be no change in the total number of TDs at 166. However the changes mean there will now be one more three-seat constituency than there was in the 2002 election, and two fewer five-seaters.
Under the Constitution the constituencies must be revised every 12 years to take into account population changes and since 1977 an independent Commission has carried out this task. The recommendations of five of the previous six Commissions have been enacted into law.
This Commission was chaired by the High Court judge, Mr Justice Lavan, and had as its members the Ombudsman Ms Emily O'Reilly; the Clerk of the Dáil, Mr Kieran Coughlan; the Clerk of the Seanad, Ms Deirdre Lane; and the Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Mr Niall Callan. It received 99 submissions from political parties, public representatives, local authorities, organisations and individuals.
The Green Party and Sinn Féin claim the changes favour large parties. The Green Party chairman Mr John Gormley said the increased number of three-seaters and decreased number of five-seaters will make it more difficult for small parties and independents to make a breakthrough.
Sinn Féin environment spokesman Mr Arthur Morgan TD also criticised the addition of three-seat constituencies, which he said "will favour the establishment parties and prevent the emergence of new voices in Irish politics".