Parliamentary_constituencies_in_the_republic_of_ireland

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.

Republic of Ireland Constituencies

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

Historic changes

Main article: List of Dáil Éireann constituencies in Ireland (historic)

Parliamentary constituency law in the Republic of Ireland

Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 Government of Ireland Act 1920 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

2007 general election

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.

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

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

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

See also

• Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005

External links

• ElectionsIreland.org - Boundary Revisions

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