Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to the boundary adjustments which might be considered  in relaton to the Kildare South and Kildare North Boundary. I would like to point out that several places such as the townland, (Punchestown Great), in which I live have been separated from its natural partners by the arbitrary moving of these voters from the local polling staton in Rathmore Hall to Ballymore Eustace a number of years ago.

We live in the parish of Eadestown, the Parish includes, the villages of Rathmore, Kilteel and Eadestown and stretches from the outskirts of Naas to join the parish of Blessington in Wicklow and includes Punchestown Racecourse. Our children attend their local school in Rathmore and we are members of the local GAA Club in Eadestown for Football and as it doesn’t have a hurling section our children are members of Naas Hurling Club. The local polling station in Rathmore Hall (beside the local school) is 5km from our house, the polling stations in Naas would be a similar distance.

However we now vote in Ballymore Eustace which in 10km away, for local elecƟons we vote in the

Naas local electoral Area and there is no difference to voting with our neighbours in Rathmore.

However for a General Election we vote in Kildare South, we do not identify with Kildare South, our local community is Eadestown, our local town is Naas, both are part of Kildare North.

I would ask that consideration be given to either transferring  the voters from the parish of Eadestown to vote in Rathmore Hall as was the case many years ago or that all votes in the Ballymore Eustace polling station be transferred to Kildare North constituency.

For the last general election we had two sets of canvassers call to our house, both canvassing on behalf of candidates in the Kildare North constituency, we had no canvassers from the Kildare South constituency. Naturally our representation would be best served by being represented by the same people as represent Naas but certainly our parish should not be divided as we don’t feel represented at all at the moment.

I also understand the polling station in Two Mile House is also part of Kildare South and similarly is very close to Naas and those who live in Two mile House identify with Naas and Kildare North rather  than Kildare south.

Many thanks for your consideration of this submission. Yours sincerely

John Duggan