An Coimisiún Toghcháin

Dublin Castle                                                                                               

Dublin 2.

9th May 2023

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to make the following submission to the current Constituency Commission on my own behalf.   I submitted in 2012,  among the ‘highest number of submissions throughout Navan Road area’  as stated at the time  –   though rather ignored.

Myself and many others were rather surprised at that time to note the Swords area being moved about like a Chess piece, and ultimately our Dublin Central area was demolished, in appears, to sustain a new 4 seater Dublin West constituency.  There is now an Ashtown A and Ashtown B, stretching to areas which are not Ashtown.

Pelletstown which claims to be Ashtown,  stretches from the Ashtown corner to Cabra corner, at Ratoath Road, and might well be called Cabra? No new buildings, houses or apartments have been built in Ashtown since our homes in 1972. Smaller and smaller ‘homes’ are now sold within Pelletstown,  as ‘Ashtown’  with higher sales prices. Even an unfortunate murder recently, in an apartment block at the Cabra end of Pelletstown was referred to as ‘a murder in Ashtown’. What sort of confusion is allowed with these Electoral changes, to suit the whims of some Government members ?

Those of us residents residing in Ashtown proper and throughout Navan Road areas, including all roads leading off Navan Road, and Blackhorse Avenue down as far as Skreen Road, Dublin 7 were formerly in Dublin Central, with the normal workings of our T.D.s’  and Dublin City Councillors in the same constituency.

This was to the detriment of those remaining in the new Dublin Central and results in the rather OIRISH situation of our T.Ds. In Dublin West and our Councillors in Dublin City.  At times we see Newsletters from our Dublin West T.D.’s all about Dublin West, seeming to forget they also represent the voters of Dublin City area. Formerly Dublin Central, and indeed the new residents of Pelletstown lands, re-zoned by a Majority FF/FG Councillors in or about 1999/2000 .   Pelletstown area is growing, with even the repugnant SHD systems gifting us 2 x 14 storey blocks towards the Ashtown end of Pelletstown – gifting our public reps many hundreds of new voters/residents.

Again, in the best OIRISH fashion, Skreen Road, Dublin 7 is in one Constituency on its West side with the opposite side of road in another Constituency.   I’m told by at least 2 Skreen Road residents, that at times public reps calling are not even clear which Constituency they are in when they knock at doors !!

I confirm that returning Navan Road and Ashtown and the newer Pelletstown back in Dublin Central as we always were, would be a correct decision for local election wards. This should now be considered as a 5 seater constituency, to allow for the large new numbers within new re-zoned and developed Pelletstown.

From memory I think the 2013 Commission report recommended such as this ?

I appeal that our combined areas, Ashtown – Navan Road –  Pelletstown be reinstated into a 5 seat Dublin Central Constituency.   Please do not allow our home area to be used as a Chess piece to satisfy the greed of some T.D.s

Thanking you for your consideration.

Pat Allison  (Mrs.)