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Boundary changes spark anger

Thursday, 26 June 2008

THERE has been a mixed reaction to last week’s announcement of new boundaries for local election areas on the Northside.
The first review of local electoral areas since 1998 was conducted this year in order to accommodate changes in population across the city.
The updated electoral areas will see some major changes including:
*Howth and Malahide will merge to form a five-seat ward.
*The Balbriggan ward will go from four seats to five.
*Swords will remain a five-seat ward but loses some territory, including Lusk, to the Balbriggan ward
*A new ward has been created to combine Artane and Whitehall. This will create a five-seat ward taking in Beaumont, Kilmore, Priorswood and Whitehall.
Outgoing Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Alan Farrell, has criticised aspects of the Electoral Area Committee’s report, claiming it does not take the projected growth of some areas fully into account.
“The decision of the boundary commission comes as no surprise to councillors in Fingal, given the overly prescriptive, short-sighted guidelines issued by Minister for the Environment, John Gormley,” Cllr Farrell stated.
“The commission strips the Malahide and Howth electoral wards of two councillors and re-allocates them to Balbriggan and Mulhuddart.
Cllr Farrell said he has no difficulty with these areas being given additional representation.
“However, I cannot understand how Minister Gormley would allow established towns that have grown moderately to be stripped of a voice on Fingal County Council,” he added.
“The growth figure of Fingal is comparative to the total size of some councils around Ireland such as Waterford City and Leitrim County Council.”
Cian O’Callaghan, a Labour Party representative for the Howth and Baldoyle areas, is also concerned over the loss of councillors for his area.
"The decision to remove two councillors from an area that covered Howth, Baldoyle, Bayside, Sutton, Portmarnock and Malahide is a disgraceful attack on our local communities," Mr O’Callaghan stated.
"In 1999 the Howth ward had four councillors – now the area will effectively only have two.
“With massive developments at the coast in Baldoyle, the population is expanding fast, making this is a short-sighted decision by Fianna Fáil and the Greens."
Mr O’Callaghan said that his area needed strong local representation to support communities.
“Instead the Government is cutting back on our representation,” he added.
“Fingal is the fastest growing local authority in Europe.
“We should be getting more representatives, not less, to deal with important local issues like coastal erosion, youth facilities and sustainable planning."
Meanwhile, Artane ward councillor Declan Flanagan (FG) has welcomed the proposal to create the new Artane Whitehall ward.
“I look forward to working for all the people of this new enlarged ward, including Whitehall,” he said.
Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) said he was pleased that the committee accepted the submission that he made, along with a number of local residents, that Swords - including Rolestown and other outlying areas - should remain one area for local elections.
"While I am disappointed to lose Lusk to the Balbriggan ward, this does make sense and population-wise, results in two evenly matched wards, each now with five seats,” stated Cllr Butler.
Minister Gormley said he fully accepted the recommendations in the report.
“I will be making the necessary orders to give effect to them as soon as possible,” he stated.
“The local electoral areas established by these orders will apply at the 2009 Local Elections.”

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