Republic of Ireland

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The lower house of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), Dáil Éireann, currently contains 166 Teachtaí Dála (TDs), representing 43 parliamentary constituencies throughout the Republic of Ireland. Depending on its size, each constituency must have at least 3 members. There is no upper limit on the number of members elected however recent procedure means that constituencies have 3, 4 or 5 elected representatives. The current (Census 2006)^[1] ratio indicates that there is one TD for every 25,512 people. Elections are held using the single transferable vote form of proportional representation.

Contents 1 Ireland Constituencies 2 Proposed changes 3 Historic changes 3.1 2007 general election 3.2 2002 general election 3.3 1997 general election 3.4 1992 general election 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Ireland Constituencies

For the 2007 general election Teachtaí Dála were elected for the following constituencies:

Constituency	Seats
Carlow–Kilkenny	5
Cavan–Monaghan	5
Clare	4
Cork East	4
Cork North Central	4
Cork North West	3
Cork South Central	5
Cork South West	3
Donegal North East	3
Donegal South West	3
Dublin Central	4
Dublin Mid West	4
Dublin North	4
Dublin North Central	3
Dublin North East	3
Dublin North West	3
Dublin South	5
Dublin South Central	5
Dublin South East	4
Dublin South West	4
Dublin West	3
Dún Laoghaire	5
Galway East	4
Galway West	5
Kerry North	3
Kerry South	3
Kildare North	4
Kildare South	3
Laois–Offaly	5
Limerick East	5
Limerick West	3
Longford–Westmeath	4
Louth	4
Mayo	5
Meath East	3
Meath West	3
Roscommon–South Leitrim	3
Sligo–North Leitrim	3
Tipperary North	3
Tipperary South	3
Waterford	4
Wexford	5
Wicklow	5

[edit] Proposed changes

The 2007 report of the Constituency Commission,^[2] an independent body established by the Government of Ireland to review constituency boundaries, has proposed several changes to Dáil constituencies.

The number of seats to be increased in two constituencies:

• Louth (from 4 to 5)
• Dublin West (from 3 to 4)

The number of seats to be reduced in two constituencies:

• Dún Laoghaire (from 5 to 4)
• Limerick East (from 5 to 4)

The following constituencies to be renamed:

• Kerry North to Kerry North–West Limerick.
• Limerick East to Limerick City.
• Limerick West to Limerick.

There are further proposed boundary changes to 20 constituencies, these are: Cork East, Cork North Central, Cork North West, Donegal North East, Donegal South West, Dublin North, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin South, Kerry North, Kerry South, Kildare North, Kildare South, Laois–Offaly, Limerick West, Meath East, Meath West, Roscommon–South Leitrim, Sligo–North Leitrim and Tipperary North.

[edit] Historic changes

v • d • e Parliamentary constituency law in the Republic of Ireland United Kingdom Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 · Government of Ireland Act 1920 Ireland Electoral Act 1923 · Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1983 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1990 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995 · Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998 · Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005

[edit] 2007 general election

In 2004 the report of the Constituency Commission,^[3], proposed major changes to Dáil constituencies. Five new constituencies were created under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005:

• Longford–Westmeath (4)
• Meath East (3)
• Meath West (3)
• Roscommon–South Leitrim (3)
• Sligo–North Leitrim (3)

These replaced the four existing constituencies of Longford–Roscommon, Meath, Sligo–Leitrim and Westmeath. These new changes resulted in the creation of a 43rd constituency and the removal of the provincial boundary breach between Leinster and Connacht.

The number of seats was reduced in two constituencies:

• Cork North Central (from 5 to 4)
• Dublin North Central (from 4 to 3)

Two three-seater constituencies gained an extra seat:

• Dublin Mid West (from 3 to 4)
• Kildare North (from 3 to 4)

There were further smaller boundary changes to eleven constituencies outside Dublin, these were: Clare, Cork North West, Cork South Central, Cork South West, Donegal North East, Donegal South West, Kerry North, Kerry South, Kildare South, Limerick East and Limerick West.

Boundaries for ten of the twelve Dublin constituencies were also revised apart from Dublin South East and Dún Laoghaire.

[edit] 2002 general election

• Dublin North East, Dublin North West and Dublin West reduced from 4 to 3 seats
• Dublin South Central increased from 4 to 5 seats.
• Dublin South West reduced from 5 to 4 seats
• Dublin Mid West is a new 3-seater

[edit] 1997 general election

• Mayo East (3) and Mayo West (3) replaced by Mayo (5)
• Kildare (5) replaced by Kildare North (3) and Kildare South (3)
• Galway East increased from 3 to 4 seats
• Tipperary South reduced from 4 to 3 seats

[edit] 1992 general election

• Longford–Westmeath (4) and Roscommon (3) replaced with Westmeath (3) and Longford–Roscommon (4)
• Dublin North increased from 3 to 4 seats
• Dublin Central reduced from 5 to 4 seats
• Dublin South West increased from 4 to 5 seats
• Dublin South Central reduced from 5 to 4 seats
• Dublin West reduced from 5 to 4 seats
• Wicklow increased from 4 to 5 seats

[edit] External links

• ElectionsIreland.org – Boundary Revisions
• Oireachtas.ie – Constituency Maps of Ireland

[edit] References