Voters call for boundary change reversal
Tipp voters want out of Limerick
Thousands of the electorate within the Newport and surrounding areas are hoping for a reversal of their transfer to voting in a Limerick Constituency for the next general election, claiming that they have been effectively disenfranchised by the change in the last Electoral Commission Dáil constituencies review.
More than 3,000 voters in the Newport, Birdhill and Ballinahinch areas were added to the adjoining Limerick City Constituency as part of the revision enlarging County Tipperary to one five-seater constituency in 2017.
Thousands of the voters have now called for a reversal of the change in submissions to the Electoral Commission of Dáil Constituencies currently reviewing the electoral boundaries.
The review has become necessary in the aftermath of the 2022 Census of Population, which showed population changes that will lead to an increase in the number of Dáil seats in the country.
In all, 14 submissions have been made with the largest by a big margin, signed by Deputy Alan Kelly and his cousin, Cllr Fiona Bonfield, Newport, which included a petition signed by several hundred voters within this area.
Deputy Kelly and Cllr Bonfield were the only political members from North Tipperary to make a submission for consideration in the current review.
The signatories, describing themselves as “concerned citizens” petitioned that they “were not consulted” on the changes, “which flies in the face of common sense” and requesting change back to Tipperary before the next general election.
OVERWHELMING CALL
The overwhelming call is for Tipperary to be divided into two three-seater constituencies and residents on the Tipperary side of the Limerick-Tipperary county bounds to be returned to voting in Tipperary.
The changes in 2017 transferred the electorate in three large adjoining District Electoral Divisions, involving the residents of 57 townlands to the constituency of Limerick City for general elections.
The electoral divisions transferred to Limerick City Dail Constituency were Newport, Birdhill and Kilcomenty.
As a result, the residents in the following townlands were transferred to voting for candidates running in the Limerick City Constituency in the 2020 Dail election: Newport DED: Ballymackeogh, Carrowkeale, Clonbealy, Clonbunny, Clonsingle, Cooldrisla, Coolnacalla, Cranavaneen, Derrygareen, Derryleigh, Fanit, Foxhall, Garryteige, Inchadrinagh, Kilnacappagh, Knockancullenagh, Lackamore, Mountrivers, Newport, Pollagh, Rossary Beg, Rossary More, Scraggeen, Shower, Tullow.
Birdhill DED: Ballinahinch, Birdhill, Cappanakeady, Cooldery, Garraun, Gortybrigane, Greenhills, Kilmastulla, Lackenavea (Dunally), Lackenavea (Egremont), Pollagh, Rossfinch, Shanbally, Thornhill.
Kilcomenty DED: Annaholty, Ballyard, Barna, Coolboreen, Coole, Cooleen, Coolross, Cragg, Foildarrig, Freagh, Gortnavarnogue, Gortshane East, Gortshane Middle, Gortshane West, Killeen , Mountphilips, Touknockane.
Several different options have been suggested in the submissions, including the inclusion of parts of adjoining counties within the Tipperary constituencies, but the revertion of Tipperary to two constituencies runs consistently through the submissions.
The transfer of the above areas to Limerick had a particular significance for Deputies Alan Kelly, Michael Lowry and Jackie Cahill, who had all benefited from preferences in the previous election.
In particular, Deputy Kelly maintains that he lost out significantly on his strong support in the previous election, consequent to his proximity to the area and the electoral popularity of his cousin, Cllr Fiona Bonfield, a Newport resident.
The decision on constituency changes is expected to be announced around August-September of this year, the recommendations of which will be awaited with intense interest with the next general election expected to be held in late 2024 or the first half of 2025.