A local vote for local people

Not content with mounting their successful campaign against a change in the South-East Clare boundary, a lobby group has sets its sights on ensuring all Clare people can vote for local general election candidates.
Clare Against the Boundary Extension (CABE) could have folded its tent after Environment Minister Phil Hogan turned down the proposed transfer of over 3,000 people from Westbury, Shannon Banks and parts of Clonlara to the jurisdiction of a new Limerick authority, as recommended in the Limerick Local Government Report.
CABE has consistently lobbied Government ministers and deputies opposing the extension of the Limerick City boundary into South-East Clare, which was actively sought by Limerick City Council in a number of submissions dating back to 1995.
While some people may have expected this group to disband following Minister Hogan’s pledge that his decision will not be revisited in the foreseeable future, it has now turned its sights to a new challenge – the return of an estimated 5,000 people living in South-East Clare back into the Clare constituency for voting purposes during general elections.
The establishment of a new Boundary Electoral Commission by the Government to examine the number of seats in constituencies in comparison to population trends presents the group with an ideal avenue to present a submission outlining the merits of their case.
Group members claim this anomaly, which was officially sanctioned a few years ago to safeguard the number of  Dáil seats in the Limerick East constituency, has caused a lot of disillusionment and frustration among voters in South-East Clare.
It has also resulted in the unusual scenario where a Clare voter in Westbury and Shannon Banks can vote for Clare County Council hopefuls in the Killaloe Electoral Area  at local elections but can only exercise their franchise in the Limerick East constituency during general elections.Once the summer holidays have ended, group chairman, Jim Gully confirmed activists would be examining ways to try and secure a return to the time when everyone living in Clare had the option of voting for general election candidates in the Clare constituency.
“This issue came up during our campaign in recent months. About half of the electorate in some areas in South-East Clare have to vote in the Limerick East constituency.
“The establishment of a new Boundary Commission presents us with an opportunity to lobby as a group. We believe that there is large portions of land that should be returned to Clare for the next general election.
“People in Shannon Banks told us they had supported Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald in the local elections but couldn’t vote for him if he runs again at the next general election unless he opted to go in Limerick East,” he said.
People from South-East Clare cast their vote for general election candidates in two different constituencies in Parteen National School last February.
Voters who were eligible to vote for 16 candidates in the Clare constituency were directed to Booth No. 3 in Parteen while Booths No. 1, 2, 4 and 5 were reserved for those who had to express their preferences for candidates in the Limerick East constituency.
Although the presiding officers are paid by Clare Circuit Court, they collected the eight boxes for Limerick East from Limerick City where they were returned for the official count on Saturday.
According to figures provided by the Clare Circuit Court office, there were 4,303 people on the register in South-East Clare who voted for Dáil hopefuls in Limerick East. Four of the boxes were located in Parteen National School and the other four were in the Scouts Hall, Shannon Banks.
Interestingly, Parteen was split in two when it came to voting in the  March election. Residents living in Derryfadda, Garraun, Gillogue, Roowest, Ballycar North and South and Clooncarhy could vote in the Clare constituency.
However, householders from Ballkeelaun, Bishop Murphy Park, Ballykeelaun Estate, Kilquane, Parteen village, Quinpool, Shannakyle had to vote in Limerick East. They were joined by voters living in Ardnacrusha, part of Cloontra, Ballyglass and Cloghera as well as Westbury and Shannon Banks.