Cllr Shane P. O'Reilly (FF) is unhappy with the content of the Fine Gael submission on the boundaries.

Uproar and confusion over FG boundary proposal

“It smacks of gerrymandering to me,” Fianna Fáil Councillor Shane P O’Reilly has said, reacting angrily to attempts by the Cavan executive of Fine Gael to realign the county electoral boundaries ahead of the next local elections.

The submission by Fine Gael to the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees (LEAB) seeks to transfer Redhills and Ballyhaise from the Bailieborough-Cootehill Municipal District (MD) area to Cavan-Belturbet; and Crossbane and Mullagh from Ballyjamesduff to Bailieborough-Cootehill. It also proposes moving Termon from Ballyjamesduff to the Bailieborough-Cootehill MD area.
The committee’s role is to review and make recommendations on local electoral areas to the Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, John Phelan, by mid-June.
According to the Fine Gael submission, co-signed by party chairperson Michael Smith and secretary Patsy O’Callaghan, the purpose of their submission, as per the terms of reference, is to recognise “local and community” identity.
The party argues that, resulting from the 2016 census, a hike in population in some areas has created a “deviation” in the average population per council seat, with Cavan-Belturbet losing out most.
They propose that Redhills and Ballyhaise, with a total population of 1,503, be transferred to Cavan-Belturbet; while Crossbane and Mullagh, with a total population of 2,835, be transferred to Ballyjamesduff.
Meanwhile, for completeness, Termon with a population of 536, would in turn be transferred from Ballyjamesduff to Bailieborough-Cootehill.
Explaining the theory behind their submission to the Celt, Mr Smith said that Ballyhaise and Redhills both fall within the natural hinterland of the county town. “It’s more natural fit for it. So then we have to balance it where Bailieborough would be losing,” he explained.
He refused to be drawn on suggestions that the move could, in fact, benefit potential future Fine Gael election strategy if their proposals were taken on board.
“A submission is only a submission. Everyone is entitled to make their own submissions,” added Mr Smith, who was unaware that the Fine Gael County Executive and Cllr O’Reilly were only two parties to submit proposals.
 


‘Musical chairs’
But Cllr O’Reilly said: “It’s worse than a bad game of musical chairs. In my view, it’s only being done to serve one purpose - their own!” added the Mullagh-based representative, who told The Anglo-Celt he feels personally targetted by the proposal.
If successful, the proposed realignment has the potential to shift several key local electoral battlegrounds generally considered “favourable” by Fianna Fáil elected members - Cllr O’Reilly in Crossbane and Mullagh, and fellow party member Fergal Curtin in Redhills and Ballyhaise.
Countering Fine Gael’s proposal, Cllr O’Reilly in turn submitted his own opinion that the three MDs “as set up at the present time are serving the county well and should not be altered”.
However, the proposal has not pleased all Fine Gael elected members either.
It’s understood that there was a “frank exchange of views” between elected representatives and grassroots members behind the plan at the Ballyhaise and Redhills Cumann AGMs, which took place on Monday night last, April 16.
Among them, sitting Councillor Val Smith, from Stradone, voiced his own concerns at the move, pointing out how, such a realignment would be the second time he would lose a heartland voter base, having been shunted from Cavan Town to Bailieborough in 2016. 
He described the proposal as “crazy stuff” so close to a period when canvassing is expected to begin in earnest. Cllr Smith had been unaware of the contents of the submission until the Celt contacted him for comment. 
“I’ve said my bit to the party members but there’s not a lot can be done about it now,” he said.
He added: “Setting party politics aside for a minute now, the likes of myself, Carmel Brady and Fergal Curtin have worked very hard for the communities we serve here locally. To lose the likes of Redhills and Ballyhaise, and instead be given somewhere the likes of Mullagh, just wouldn’t make sense, no sense at all!”