As if it hadn’t happened already, the next General Election campaign kicked off in earnest yesterday morning with the publication of the new electoral boundaries across the country. For politicians, it’s a bit like the World Cup where you know you’ve qualified but you find out the hotels you’ll be staying in and most importantly, the pitch you will be playing on.
Although theoretically, the next General Election need not be called until February 2025 (remember the last one on the day that Operation Ciara devastated the Galway 2020 opening ceremony on Feb 8, 2020 ), the strong belief is that it will be held in the third quarter of next year, so as to avoid a winter election.
That election will come just three or four months after the Mayo local and European elections, so by the time Halloween 2024 comes around, we will be sick and tired of people looking for our vote.
The next General Election in Ireland is going to be one of the most contentious of all time, given the relative strength of the parties and the emergence of social media as a key tool in how the battle lines will be drawn. In this regard, with positions on extreme left and right, and centres left and right, it will be an evolving tactical masterclass that will result in a lot of heavy hits. It is not going to be pretty on the civility front.
While it is convenient for the candidates to know where they will be standing, yesterday’s announcement of the proposed boundaries is also instructive for the electorate. If we are to fully engage in the democratic process and effect the sort of change we want to effect, it is essential that people can engage with their candidates and the issues that are pertinent to their locality.
The return of 6,000 Mayo voters to Mayo from Galway West is part of this, as those voters would look more towards Castlebar than Galway for their local leadership. Ballinasloe, on the other hand, a proud Galway town, is no longer in Galway East and voters there will also have to choose candidates that will be representing Roscommon the new enlarged Dail.
It is impossible to satisfy every point of view when it comes to trying to marry up cultural, political and geographic boundaries that are aligned to people’s sense of identity and belonging; and no doubt in another decade or so, they will be back redrawing the lines that seem to certain now. The country is evolving — we can only hope that we elect a parliament that reflects each and every corner as best it can.
