A matter of geography

During the week a Fine Gael canvasser at my door – the first I had seen in this election campaign – suggested to me that it was difficult to get people enthusiastic about this election.

And part of the reason, he suggested, is the fact that Raphoe – where I live and where he was canvassing – is now part of Donegal South West and were it not for the fact that Labour’s Frank McBrearty is based here – we’d be even further on the fringes of the constituency and even less enthusiastic about an election.

In fairness, Raphoe was transferred to Donegal South-West before the last General Election in 2007, but that does not mean that the transfer sits easily with the people here.

And if that is the case in and around Raphoe then what of the people in St. Johnston who have been moved this time and who this Friday will cast their votes in Donegal South West.

Located in the most easterly part of Donegal, one local from St. Johnston told me recently that “the only place we’re south-west of is Derry!”

In all, four electoral divisons within the Stranorlar Electoral area have been transferred to Donegal South-West this time as part of the changes, increasing the population in the constituency by over 2,300.

And it is population – not geography – that has led to the boundary revisions.

If emigration continues as it has been recently from Donegal – further population reductions could lead to a single constituency in Donegal and a reduction in the number of TDs as well.

In total twenty-four constituency changes have been made across the country since the 2007 elections and could prove significant in some battles for seats next Friday. While national campaigns should be based on national issues – as the old saying goes all politics is local.

On that note it was interesting to see a poster from Labour’s Jimmy Harte in Letterkenny this week with the words “vote local” on the bottom.

With many suggesting he is in the running for a seat in Donegal North East, the Labour man is trying to make the most of the fact that he is the best known and most experienced candidate from Letterkenny in the field now – even if he no longer is the only one.

Of course he knows only too well the consequences of boundary changes, having stood as an independent candidate in 2007 when a large swathe of potential votes around his home town of Raphoe and nearby Lifford, were transferred to the South West.

As it turns out his Labour Party running mate, Frank McBrearty, is certain to sweep up the majority of the votes in that area and through much of the Finn Valley now. Incidentally, some of his posters declare that he is ‘standing up for the Finn Valley.’

But the importance of geography is not just confined to the South West as the jockeying to have candidates on the ballot from Inishowen and then from Letterkenny would indicate in Donegal North-East.

The reasoning of course is the fact that in huge constituencies like we have in Donegal geography is important. While the population may not be huge, all candidates are aware that a handful of votes can often make a big difference.

It’s a long way from Convoy to Carrick in Donegal South-West, just indeed as it is a long trek from Malin Head to Milford in the North-East – but should the geography matter that much?

Probably not in all fairness, and were constituency boundaries be drawn on that basis, we would end up with constituencies more akin to those in the local elections than our current Dáil constituencies and we’d have Inishowen, Stranorlar, Letterkenny, Glenties and Milford all with their own candidates and sure everybody would be happy.

This might not be needed though if radical reform of local authorities took place, giving local government more authority and more money to deal with local issues.

Perhaps then those running for the Dáil would be able to base their campaigns on national issues not local ones and candidates might not have to face questions on the same issues (potholes for instance) that local election candidates were answering two years ago.

And perhaps then people would not be as concerned about where a candidate is from and more focused on their policies, proposals and what they stand for.

But for now, expect geography to play its part and the tally figures when they come on Saturday to reinforce once again that old saying about all politics being local.

(For details on the boundary changes see - http://www.constituency-commission.ie/docs/con2007.pdf)