DONEGAL:Donegal people would probably even say no to a free TV licence, a local political commentator has said after the county again turned in a resounding No vote in the children's rights referendum.
John McAteer, editor of the independently owned Tirconaill Tribune, also said the latest No vote was a wake-up call for Donegal’s six TDs and two Senators.
Donegal South-West was the first constituency to reject the children’s rights referendum yesterday with 56.47 per cent voting No. It was followed closely by its neighbouring constituency of Donegal North-East, which rejected the referendum with an even larger No vote of 59.99 per cent.
Donegal, where household charge collection rates are among the lowest in the State, is fast earning itself the reputation of a county which is saying no to any effort to remove the status quo.
The county said No in the fiscal treaty referendum last May and is home to the only two constituencies in the State to have voted No in both Lisbon referendums.
Fine Gael Donegal North-East TD Joe McHugh called for a “serious analysis” of the socio-economic factors that appeared to be contributing to the No vote in Donegal in successive referendums.
Mr McAteer said while Donegal had traditionally voted No he believed the rejection this time was “more of a vote against our local political representation” .
“The combined call for a Yes vote by Fine Gael, Fine Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour and Independent Thomas Pringle was a chance for the electorate to show how disillusioned people are with their representatives.”