'We have a big challenge ahead, but right is on our side'

Damian McCarney
at Hotel Kilmore

While everyone who spoke at Thursday’s public meeting on the reunification of County Cavan for general elections, vowed to doggedly pursue the objective, their was a general acknowledgement that success was far from guaranteed. As such there were repeated calls from the top table of Cavan-Monaghan TDs for community groups and individuals to take an active role in leading the charge.
GAA chairman Gerry Brady obliged by committing Cavan County Board’s support. “We encourage all our members throughout the county to fully support it and to sign the petition,” he said. IFA national chairman for rural development Joe Brady echoed these sentiments on behalf of the association, as did Catherine Fox, on behalf of incoming ETB CEO John Kearney.
They were amongst the 150-plus people to pack into the Hotel Kilmore for the meeting, called by Deputy Brendan Smith and chaired by Sean McMahon (of this parish) to invigorate the campaign to have the Cavan-Monaghan constituency restored to its previous incarnation before the Constituencies Boundary Commission displaced west Cavan. Deputy Smith noted that that decision to split County Cavan, for the first time since the foundation of the State, left 13,000 Breffni voters in Sligo-Leitrim, a constituency which also severed South Donegal. He also noted, it’s the first time any constituency has ever contained parts of four counties.
The increased population recorded in the recent draft census showed the number of people-per-TD has risen above the legal limit of 30,000, not just in Cavan-Monaghan but in 24 other constituencies.
Brendan Smith observed that the constitution provided for greater flexibility for rural counties to have a smaller population-to-TD ratio. However, he said that Cavan-Monaghan currently has the sixth highest population to TD ratio in the State with many city constituencies having a lower ratio.
“To ensure a healthy, vigorous and responsive political system, the people must be able to identify comfortably and readily with constituency boundaries,” he insisted.
“We have a big challenge ahead, but right is on our side.”

Sacrosanct
Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said Cavan-Monaghan should look for common ground with the other constituencies nationwide, which had also lost “snippets, tucks and nips” to neighbouring counties.
“The core of the argument that offers the best possible success is that county boundaries should be sacrosanct across the board.”
Deputy Ó Caoláin noted that the terms of reference may well prove crucial in deciding the issue.
“It is my view, that there may well be a flaw in the terms of reference, which is plus or minus variation - ie, not to exceed five per cent. If it is the case that albeit with the increased populations in our two counties that we fall short of being in excess of five per cent, I regret that we could fail.”
He called on “a revisitation to the terms of reference” and said that Minister Coveney and the current government “have a role to play in providing for a greater degree of flexibility, or in the absence of that, make it abundantly clear that county boundaries are sacrosanct and they should not be interfered with in any shape or form.”
Senator Joe O’Reilly reported that the Fine Gael parliamentary party had discussed the issue, where he had voiced his opinion that there should be flexibility on the terms of reference.
“It is part of the terms of reference that they will adhere to county boundaries where possible, but it will have to be very strongly emphasised... I will again keep raising this with Minister Coveney in the interim.”
Senator O’Reilly echoed this writer’s warning expressed on the night, that the commission must be dissuaded from balancing the populations by moving further sections of Cavan-Monaghan into Sligo-Leitrim constituency, particularly given there were slight decreases in the populations of Counties Sligo and Donegal. Senator O’Reilly reported that “the best scientific adviser in the party” had cautioned: “If we don’t have Cavan reunited we’ll have Cavan further butchered.”
However, Senator O’Reilly also stressed: “I am fairly optimistic that there will be sufficient flexibility in the system for the commission to use their discretion if they have to increase the number of seats to maintain county boundaries to the greatest possible degree - that’s my belief that will be the case.”

Quotas
Senator O’Reilly had undertaken some number crunching in light of the draft census, and calculated that currently Sligo-Letrim is a four-seat constituency with 3.24 quotas, while Cavan-Monaghan, also a four seat constituency has 4.58 quotas. “Which means it [Cavan-Monaghan] is closer to a five seater than Sligo-Leitrim is to a four seater - that’s a compelling fact.”
He concluded therefore that “an optimum outcome” would see Donegal remain a five-seater, a reunified Cavan-Monaghan should return to a five seater, and Sligo-Leitrim should become a three seater.

Disenfranchised
Deputy Niamh Smyth said she was “very surprised” by the number of letters from people in West Cavan who had felt “disenfranchised from the whole democratic process”.
She added: “You will find that a lot of people in West Cavan actually didn’t go out to vote in protest at... pure disappointment, and feeling neglected”. This was supported by Cllr John Paul Feeley’s suggestion that in some West Cavan areas, turn out was down “about 20%” on previous elections.
Deputy Smyth said that given the uncertainty generated by the Brexit referendum, it made the reunification of Cavan “even more important”.
The meeting had been opened by Chairman of Cavan County Council, Fergal Curtin that a letter had been drafted, with the support of all local county councillors, calling on Minister Coveney “to take the appropriate steps which will lead to the reunification of the county”.
He assured the gathering of that the council would be “resolute and determined in its contribution to this campaign”.
Cllr Paddy O’Rourke was the first to speak from the floor. He had unsuccessfully stood in Leitrim-Sligo, attracting almost 2,000 first preference votes from West Cavan. However, he vowed his support for the campaign having seen how Leitrim was impacted when it was previously “split every which way”.
Cllr Feeley suggested that we enlist professional help from a “political scientist” in drafting a comprehensive submission for the commission.
Austin McGurren from Belturbet raised a round of applause when he wondered aloud: “I don’t know how these people got through this change - there’s 166 TDs or 158 - could they not have checked it before it happened?”
Finally Dr Joan Ahern from Killeshandra outlined: “I’m here because my town is disappearing in front of my eyes and we have no public representative to advocate for us.”
She asked of the TDs: “If this [campaign] fails, what’s plan B?”
“In this instance if it doesn’t work, there’s no plan B unfortunately,” clarified Deputy Smith. He therefore stressed the importance of all community groups from around the county to participate in the campaign and also to sign the petition.