Electoral Commission recommends 14 additional TDs nationally including two in Cork
The number of TDs should increase from 160 to 174, it has been recommended in a much-anticipated review of Ireland’s constituency boundaries.
The number of TDs should increase from 160 to 174, it has been recommended in a much-anticipated review of Ireland’s constituency boundaries.
The Electoral Commission has recommended the number of constituencies increase from 39 to 43.
The constituency review has been prompted by a boom in the population to 5.15 million, as shown in Census 2022 – an increase of 8% in four years.
As the Irish constitution says there needs to be one TD to represent every 20,000 to 30,000 people in Ireland, the constituency boundaries need to shift.
Ms. Justice Marie Baker, Chair, An Coimisiún Toghcháín/The Electoral Commission, introduces the recommendations of the Constituency Review Report. #ConstituencyReview23 pic.twitter.com/SUafzqTPvD
— An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission (@ElecCommIRL) August 30, 2023
Of Ireland’s 39 constituencies – nine three-seaters, 17 four-seaters and 13 five-seaters – all but one have seen population increases that put them at more than 30,000 people per TD, with Limerick County being the exception.
According to Irish electoral laws, each constituency should have between three and five elected members, with three-seaters seen as advantageous to large political parties and five-seaters an easier job for smaller parties and independents to get over the quota threshold.
Constituency reviews are meant to avoid breaching county boundaries where possible, to follow geographical features and to maintain the continuity of electoral areas as much as they can.
Upon the establishment of the Electoral Commission in February this year, it asked for submissions on how the boundaries should be redrawn, and received 556 submissions from elected representatives, political parties and academics.
Recommendations published on Wednesday morning include that there should be 13 three-seat constituencies (+4), 15 four-seat areas (-2), and 15 five-seat constituencies (+2).
This would mean that, on average, 29,593 people would be represented by each of the 174 TDs.
Seven constituencies remained entirely unchanged since the last review: Clare, Cork South-West, Donegal, Dublin Central, Kerry, Limerick County and Waterford.
Seven of the 10 existing “county boundary breaches” have been removed across Laois, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary and Westmeath.
There are four extra seats in the Dublin area, with several changes to electoral divisions.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin recommends that 174 TDs should be elected from 43 constituencies at the next General Election. https://t.co/CpgiruDyBl #ConstituencyReview23 https://t.co/4ioBTshEOY pic.twitter.com/qGvgKMST9J
— An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission (@ElecCommIRL) August 30, 2023
The five-seat Dublin Fingal constituency has gained a TD after being split into Dublin Fingal East and Dublin Fingal West, with three seats each.
The constituency of Dublin Rathdown has been allocated an additional TD to become a four-seat area.
Dublin West has gained a seat and will now have five TDs.
Dublin Mid-West has also become a five-seat constituency with an extra TD allocated there.
There is an additional seat in both the Cork North Central and Cork South Central constituencies.
The remaining eight seats are spread throughout the rest of the country.
The chairwoman of An Coimisiun Toghchain, the Electoral Commission, said the recommendation is the product of “detailed analysis of constitutional and statutory limits”.
Supreme Court Judge Ms Justice Marie Baker said: “It arrives at a solution which best fits the needs of the country as a whole, as our population expands.
“Thanks to all those hundreds of people, parties and organisations who shared their ideas and proposals with us. Each was considered in making our final recommendations.
“This constituency review is the first task of Ireland’s new Electoral Commission, An Coimisiun Toghchain.
“At barely six months old, we are proud to deliver this significant democratic review of Ireland’s constituencies, the building blocks of our democracy, on time and in line with our statutory mandate.” Ireland is due to hold local council elections and a European Parliament election next summer.
A general election is heavily rumoured to be planned for November next year, after the final Budget of the three-party coalition government is officially confirmed.
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