Number of TDs to increase by 14 with four new constituencies

James Cox

The Electoral Commission has released its constituencies review with a recommendation of four 14 extra TDs and four new constituencies.

It recommends that the next Dáil would see 174 TDs representing 43 Dáil constituencies, up from the current 160 TDs in 39 constituencies.

This would see every TD represent an average of 29,593 people, down from the current 32,182.

Changes will include Dublin Fingal being split into two constituencies, Dublin Fingal East and Dublin Fingal West, with three seats each. This is an increase of two seats.

Dublin Mid West gains one seat to become a five-seater, Dublin West will also become a five seat constituency, while Dublin Rathdown becomes a four-seater, up from three.

There are changes for Wexford and Wicklow. Both counties will remain as four seat constituencies, however, there will be a new Wexford-Wicklow constituency with three seats taking territory from the south and north of each county.

This area will take up both the towns of Arklow and Gorey.

Galway East will be given an extra seat, taken from the Roscommon-Galway constituency. Mayo gains a seat while Galway West will remain as a five-seater.

Cork North Central and Cork South Central will both become five seat constituencies. Laois-Offaly will become two constituencies with three seats each.

Tipperary will be changed to two three-seaters, Tipperary North and Tipperary South.

You can read the full review here.

Chair of the Electoral Commission, Supreme Court Judge Ms Justice Marie Baker said: “Our recommendation for 174 TDs across 43 constituencies is the product of detailed analysis of constitutional and statutory limits. It arrives at a solution which best fits the needs of the country as a whole, as our population expands

“The Commission is pleased to be in a position to recommend the removal of seven of the 10 existing breaches of county boundaries, reductions in the size of two existing breaches and to propose just three new county boundary breaches in the recommended constituency composition.

“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 Coimisiún Toghcháin. At barely 6 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.”