WE WANT our voters back.
That’s the message being sent loud and clear to the boundary commission that decides where people must vote in local and general elections.
Numerous approaches have been made to the boundary commission by politicians and members of the public who want to see the entire county reunited as one electoral constituency.
Currently, voters in east Carlow areas such as Hacketstown, Rathvilly, Clonmore and Tynock do not have the right to vote for politicians from their own county.
A similar push has been made in Graiguecullen, which falls into the Laois/Offaly constituency. Former Carlow county councillor Declan Alcock is seeking to have Graiguecullen brought into the Carlow constituency in a move that has been dubbed “arrogant” by Laois county councillor John Moran.
“Carlow has never looked after Graiguecullen,” cllr Moran told The Nationalist last week.
The divisive issue has also crept into the highest echelons of Fine Gael, with two Carlow/ Kilkenny TDs, Pat Deering and John Paul Phelan, both making opposing submissions on the issue.
Deputy Deering submitted a 44-page petition with hundreds of signatures in which he claims approximately 5,000 Carlovians fall into the Wicklow/East Carlow constituency.
But in his submission deputy Phelan asks for the boundary to stay the same.
“People on the ground are very unhappy with the current boundary,” deputy Deering said.
“Carlow is a small county but we are loyal and proud of our existence and I would hope that we could vote together.”
A decision on the issue is due to be made by the boundary commission around July.