“Fianna Fáil want it both ways”
by Martin Ryan

Joan Burton TD has criticised Fianna Fáil for “wanting to have it both ways” in relation to the new Dublin West constituency boundaries. She also has called for the “integrity of urban centres, in particular Swords and Blanchardstown” to be respected.

The calls come on foot of proposals for a constituency carve-up which would see part of Swords being allocated to Dublin West as well as changes affecting local council area representation.

The deputy Labour leader described as “unfortunate and unwelcoming to a lot of people in that area” recommendations that the River Valley and Forest Road part of Swords be moved to Dublin West.

In response to comments from Fianna Fáil’s Michael Kennedy - who said that if the Government objected it would be accused of gerrymandering and that it was up to the opposition to raise the matter – Deputy Burton said that “as a member of a government party who commissioned the review, he is really trying to have it both ways.”

Referring to the realities of voting in Dáil Éireann, she says that when the matter comes up for discussion in the Dáil, she will be speaking strongly against the proposals but her voting against it will achieve nothing. For that reason she believes the proposals need to be examined more closely by the Government parties.

She believes that the town of Swords is an important urban centre in its own right. In a submission to the Boundary Committee she states that “it would be unfair to further split Swords in terms of local electoral wards. It would be very difficult for part-time councillors to represent either Mulhuddart or Castleknock in Dublin 15 as well as Swords, for example.

“There is no direct public transport link between the two areas rendering travel between them very time consuming, not least because of the traffic gridlock on the M50. The people of Swords should continue to be represented by councillors based in and dedicated to the Swords area.”

Deputy Burton also highlighted the remarkable discrepancies in local representation across the country with Fingal being one of the most under-represented. “The 2006 census shows that the Fingal area of Dublin has experienced a population surge over the course of the last decade. Its population now stands at some 240,000. It is served by 24 councillors, implying a ratio of approximately 10,000 residents per councillor.

“The national average ratio is approximately 4,800 residents per councillor. If we look at Leitrim, for example, there are only 1,316 residents of Leitrim per councillor. The number of residents per councillor in Fingal is well over double the national average.

“This is a startling anomaly and one which I, and the people of the Fingal area, would expect to be addressed by the committee while respecting, insofar as is reasonably practicable, its terms of reference.”

 

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