Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017
The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 (No. 39) is a law of Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies.[1] It took effect on the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil on 14 January 2020 and a general election for the 33rd Dáil on the revised constituencies took place on 8 February 2020.
| Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Oireachtas | |
| |
| Citation | No. 39 of 2017 |
| Signed | 23 December 2017 |
| Commenced | 23 December 2017 & 14 January 2020 |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill citation | No. 137 of 2017 |
| Bill published on | 20 November 2017 |
| Introduced by | Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Eoghan Murphy) |
| Repeals | |
| Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013 | |
Following the 2016 census, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government established an independent Constituency Commission under terms of the Electoral Act 1997.[2] The Commission delivered its report in 2017. It proposed several changes to Dáil constituencies, increasing the number number of seats in the Dáil from 158 to 160, while the number of constituencies were reduced by 1 to 39.[3] The Act implemented the recommendations of this report and repealed the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, which had defined the constituencies used since the 2016 general election.
Revised constituencies
| Constituency[4] | Created | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Carlow–Kilkenny | 1948 | 5 |
| Cavan–Monaghan | 1977 | 5 |
| Clare | 1921 | 4 |
| Cork East | 1981 | 4 |
| Cork North-Central | 1981 | 4 |
| Cork North-West | 1981 | 3 |
| Cork South-Central | 1981 | 4 |
| Cork South-West | 1961 | 3 |
| Donegal | 2016 | 5 |
| Dublin Bay North | 2016 | 5 |
| Dublin Bay South | 2016 | 4 |
| Dublin Central | 1981 | 4 |
| Dublin Fingal | 2016 | 5 |
| Dublin Mid-West | 2002 | 4 |
| Dublin North-West | 1981 | 3 |
| Dublin Rathdown | 2016 | 3 |
| Dublin South-Central | 1948 | 4 |
| Dublin South-West | 1981 | 5 |
| Dublin West | 1981 | 4 |
| Dún Laoghaire | 1977 | 4 |
| Galway East | 1977 | 3 |
| Galway West | 1937 | 5 |
| Kerry | 2016 | 5 |
| Kildare North | 1997 | 4 |
| Kildare South | 1997 | 4 |
| Laois–Offaly | 2020 | 5 |
| Limerick City | 2011 | 4 |
| Limerick County | 2016 | 3 |
| Longford–Westmeath | 2007 | 4 |
| Louth | 1923 | 5 |
| Mayo | 1997 | 4 |
| Meath East | 2007 | 3 |
| Meath West | 2007 | 3 |
| Roscommon–Galway | 2016 | 3 |
| Sligo–Leitrim | 2016 | 4 |
| Tipperary | 2016 | 5 |
| Waterford | 1923 | 4 |
| Wexford | 1921 | 5 |
| Wicklow | 1923 | 5 |
Summary of changes
These tables summarise the changes in representation but do not address revisions to the boundaries of constituencies.
Change in seats
| Constituency | Seats 2016 | Seats 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Cavan–Monaghan | 4 | 5 |
| Dublin Central | 3 | 4 |
| Kildare South | 3 | 4 |
Constituencies abolished
| Constituency | Seats | Area now in |
|---|---|---|
| Laois | 3 | Laois–Offaly and Tipperary |
| Offaly | 3 | Laois–Offaly and Kildare South |
New constituencies
| Constituency | Seats | Area from |
|---|---|---|
| Laois–Offaly | 5 | Laois and Offaly |
References
- Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 (No. 39). 23 December 2017. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 29 January 2018, Irish Statute Book.
- Constituency Commission (Establishment) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 375). 14 July 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 8 August 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- "Constituency Commission Report 2017" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- Schedule of the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 (No. 39). 23 December 2017. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 August 2021, Irish Statute Book.