From:    Darragh Butler

Sent:      Thursday 13 April 2023 14:51

To:         ELC ConstituencyReview

Subject:                Consultation in relation to Dáil constituencies

Dear Boundary Commission,

I would like to make the following 4 points regarding the review of Dáil constituencies that is underway.

That County borders must be respected and within County Dublin, that the borders of the local authority areas, including Fingal County Council should be protected and aligned as much as possible with Dáil Éireann constituencies.  Ensuring this ensures much more effective public representation.

That Local Authority, Council Local Election Areas are respected and aligned as much as possible with Dáil Éireann constituencies. Again, ensuring this ensures much more effective public representation.

That when not using County or Council boundaries, that sensible “natural” local boundaries are used, such as rivers, estuaries, motorways, etc., so there is a clear and logical division between constituencies and not ad-hoc pockets left out on their own.

That under no circumstances should towns such as Swords be divided. This happened for the 2011 general election and subsequent by-elections (splitting out Swords-Forrest from Dublin North to Dublin West) and to me this was tantamount to gerrymandering, reducing the county town of Fingal, splitting the town in two and drastically reducing its political representation as a proportion of two constituencies as opposed to one. Dividing up a town such as Swords is not acceptable, must be avoided and as I have said, it is basically gerrymandering if this was to happen again. Residents south of the Brackenstown Road, instead of voting in the school across the road for the constituency of Dublin North with the rest of Swords, had the drive around the valley to RiverValley to vote in the constituency of Dublin West.  It took a very strong campaign to get this corrected as part of Dublin Fingal and it must not happen again.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my submission.

Best regards,

Darragh

COUNCILLOR DARRAGH BUTLER