Parliamentary constituencies in the Republic of Ireland
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The lower house of the 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.
The provisional census figures for the constituency of Dublin West indicate a ratio of one TD per 30,933 population, a figure in excess of the constitutional limit of one TD per 20,000-30,000 population. Final census figures are expected in April 2007. In addition, the Register of Electors is in some disarray, with some constituency registers having numbers in excess of the adult population of that constituency, even after large numbers were struck off.
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[edit] Republic of Ireland Constituencies
For the 2007 General Election Teachtaí Dála will be elected for the following constituencies:
- 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] 2004 Changes
| Parliamentary constituency law in the Republic of Ireland |
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In 2004 the report of the Constituency Commission [2], an independent body established by the Irish Government to review constituency boundaries, proposed major changes to Dáil constituencies. Five new constituencies were created:
- 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.
As noted above, final census figures are expected in April 2007, just a few months before the expected election (due before 6 June 2007). This may mean that these constituencies may need to be revised in a very short period of time, although this is unlikely to happen.
[edit] Historic changes
[edit] For 1992 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] For 1997 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
- Tipperary South decreased from 4 to 3
[edit] For 2002 election
- Dublin North East, Dublin North West and Dublin West go from 4 to 3 seats.
- Dublin South Central goes from 4 to 5 seats.
- Dublin South West goes from 5 to 4 seats.
- Dublin Mid West is a new 3-seater.
