General Election: 'I have a lot of sympathy with the people of south Donegal’

General Election candidate Paddy O’Rourke (FF) says he believes that splitting a county between constituencies has a major. long-term detrimental effect. 

“I was in south Donegal on my canvass and there is a lot of anger about the way the constituency is split,” he told Donegal Live. 

“I understand how they feel; my own county of Leitrim was split three ways once upon a time, and in more recent years, two ways.”

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Mr O’Rourke questions why such divisions are deemed necessary. He knows all too well what that is like, both as a candidate and as a citizen.

“That division of Leitrim set back the development of the county,” he said. 

“You have the same situation in Donegal now. It is not worthwhile for any local candidate to run there. 

“That is what I was coming up against in Leitrim, and I was up against Sligo people who had previously established a base in the north of the county when it was Sligo North Leitrim.

“Surely it is not beyond the ingenuity of mankind to have a situation where people have the opportunity to elect a representative from their own county.”