Buncrana Aontú candidate Liam Mulligan calls for constitutional change

Aontú local election candidate for the Buncrana local electoral area Liam Mulligan has called for an immediate change in the Irish Constitution which he claims would benefit Donegal and Inishowen.

Mr Mulligan said: “In the last general election, it took twice as many voters to elect a TD innDonegal as it took in Dublin Central. This is not democratic representation proportional to votes received. This needs to change and it needs a change in the Constitution to reflect the change in the country since 1937.

“It’s astounding that Donegal’s representatives from FF, FG, Sinn Féin and ‘Independent’ in the Dáil and Seanad spent their time supporting the establishment’s nonsense in the Care and Family referendums in March when they should have been taking a hard look at how the electoral system is failing the pressing needs of the people of Donegal and Inishowen’s problems in particular.

“Under the current system, in the last general election two unsuccessful Donegal candidates had more first preference votes and more final votes than Paschal Donohue, yet, Donohue has been the minister in charge of finance and public expenditure, putting brakes on a proper redress scheme for defective block victims, while the two Donegal candidates don’t have a voice in the Dáil.

“A proper reform would mean at least 6 seats being re-allocated from Dublin to places like Donegal, Mayo and Kerry giving these counties stronger representation. I believe this re- balancing of 12 seats to mainly rural constituencies would result in a complete re-framing of priorities in the Dáil, something our Dublin leaders would not like.”

91 candidates declared for 37 Donegal County Council seats in June election

Not surprisingly, the latest number of candidates will be competing for a seat in the Letterkenny Local electoral area where 18 candidates will stand

The Buncrana Aontú candidate said: “This also matters in the local council elections because our councillors elect the bulk of the Seanad and not one of the councillor-elected senators opposed the recent “care” and “family” referendums so decisively rejected by the Irish people, with Donegal leading the way. Donegal needs to keep up the pressure for facts and real reform at all levels in our democracy by supporting Aontú, the party that leads the fight for common sense.

“Electing Aontú local representatives in Donegal and giving Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín your vote in the European Parliament elections on June 7 is the only way of achieving these aims,” concluded Mr Mulligan.