Galway East TD Seán Canney has hit out against a report which proposes radical changes to local municipal district boundaries.The Local Electoral Boundary Committee is recommending a series of changes aimed at making municipal districts smaller to allow councillors to better represent them.
However Deputy Canney is arguing some of the changes will lead to confusion on many levels.
“The proposals include taking Glenamaddy out of the Tuam district and into Ballinasloe, dividing Abbeyknockmoy between Tuam and Athenry/Oranmore and taking Monivea out of Tuam altogether.
“The proposals will confuse voters and I’m deeply concerned that some peripheral areas will lose out,” he said.
“Councillors who have represented people in certain areas for years may now struggle for re-election with the newly-drawn boundaries, while engineers will be uncertain about what areas they cover.
“One of the really big issues that has to be addressed is that the powers of our municipal districts are virtually non-existent. “Everything they discuss has to be referred to Galway County Council and repeated before a decision can be taken. That has to change,” he said.
Deputy Canney’s call has been echoed by other local TDs and councillors, who have criticised the report for taking a mathematical view of the reorganisation rather than considering the needs of local people.
