Dublin city and county may have 28% of the population but just how well does it do when it comes to political representation at cabinet? Significantly, seven out of fifteen cabinet ministers represent Dublin constituencies meaning that 47% or almost half of the entire cabinet is drawn from Dublin constituencies. When two other ministers are included - Simon Harris (Minister for Health) Wicklow and Regina Doherty (Minister for Welfare) Meath East - you are left with a situation where 60% of the cabinet is drawn from what is effectively the Greater Dublin region. What are the implications for governance when so much power is concentrated in a small geographic area?
One outcome of this is that it has resulted in the dominance of a Dublin Fine Gael cohort in cabinet largely representing more affluent Dubliners. The question has to be asked - how does their world view impinge on the overall direction of government? The inclusion of independent ministers Shane Ross and Katherine Zappone, far from acting as a moderating force for this world view, simply adds to the perception of a privileged Dublin elite within cabinet. This has implications not just for Fine Gael voters outside of Dublin but also for many ordinary Dubliners who do not vote for Fine Gael. Effectively, political power in Ireland is concentrated in the hands of a small cohort of Dublin Fine Gael T.D.s.
1. Dublin West - Leo Varadkar FG (Taoiseach)
2.Dublin Bay North - Richard Bruton FG (Minister for Education)
3. Dublin Central - Paschal Donohoe FG (Minister for Finance)
4. Dublin Bay South - Eoghan Murphy FG (Minister for Housing)
5. Dublin South West - Katherine Zappone IndAll (Minister for Children)
6. Dublin Rathdown - Josepha Madigan FG (Minister for Culture)
- Shane Ross IndAll (Minister for Transport)