EDITORIAL: Tipperary General Election already marred by incidents alien to our democracy
Eamon Lacey's editorial in this week's Nationalist and Tipperary Star ahead of General Election 2024
With Tipperary reverting to two separate constituencies it is all systems go to elect candidates to represent the county in the 34th Dáil.
Candidates have been in election mode for some months now, waiting for the green light from Taoiseach Simon Harris.
Months of speculation ended when Harris asked President Michael D. Higgins to dissolve the Dáil.
That formal process took place last Friday, and as expected, November 29 is set as the date the country will go to the polls to elect a new Government.
Housing, healthcare and the cost of living will be among the primary issues of concern to voters nationally.
At a more local level candidates in Tipperary will be questioned on the doorsteps about issues that are of concern to their own communities.
That Tipperary will now be split into two constituencies is to be widely welcomed, especially in Tipperary South which lost a seat in the previous five-seater one constituency arrangement.
In the two elections that have taken place in Tipperary as one constituency since 2016 just two TDs were returned in the south of the county and three in the north.
Now with two separate constituencies both Tipperary South and Tipperary North will be guaranteed three TDs each.
Representation from the county will be balanced and south Tipperary will no longer be the poor relation when it comes to Dáil representation.
The campaign in Tipperary South has been marred by incidents alien to our democracy with election posters of a Fine Gael nominee defaced and destroyed by fire.
That type of behaviour is unacceptable.
Candidates deserve respect for the bravery they have shown in putting their names forward and it is incumbent on us as voters to engage with them on the issues in a respectful and meaningful way.