Boundary review recommendations: 14 new TDs in the Dáil and four new constituencies
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The next Dáil is set to be made up of 174 TDs as the Electoral Commission adds an additional 14 seats.
The change to the constituencies has led to a further two TDs for Cork, with Cork North-Central and Cork South-Central each receiving an additional seat.
Four new seats are set to be added to Dublin, with the largest change in the capital coming from the split up of Dublin Fingal.
The former five-seat constituency is set to be split into two three-seaters, known as Dublin Fingal East and Dublin Fingal West.
It had been widely speculated that Tipperary would be separated into two separate constituencies, which has now come to pass.
The former five-seater becomes two three-seaters, known as Tipperary North and Tipperary South.
The Tipperary North seat is set to receive part of Limerick City as well as Carlow-Kilkenny to bring it over the population threshold for a three-seater.
The overall review is significant, with just seven constituencies remaining unchanged since the last redraw.
These constituencies are: Clare, Cork South-West, Donegal, Dublin Central, Kerry, Limerick County and Waterford.
Laois and Offaly have also been split into two separate constituencies, with Laois taking in some of Kildare South and becoming a three-seater. Meanwhile, Offaly will also see an electoral district transferred from Kildare South to become a three-seater.
While Wicklow and Wexford remain individual constituencies with four seats apiece, a new change has seen the area in between the two seats formed into a single three-seat constituency know as Wicklow-Wexford.
This area will take up both the towns of Arklow and Gorey.
Despite some expectations from TDs, there has been no change to the constituencies of Donegal and Kerry.
It had been speculated both counties would become two three-seaters, but this has not come to pass.
Following Wednesday morning's changes, there are now 43 constituencies across the country.
As a result of the population of Ireland flying past the five million mark (5.15m), a redraw of boundaries was needed as between 11 and 21 new TDs were required.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, chair of the Electoral Commission Justice Marie Baker said the body would do some research on expanding constituency sizes beyond the maximum of five seats.
She added the matter would be examined in the “next few months”.
Four new constituencies have also been recommended by the commission.
These seats will be added in:
The recommendations also meet the statutory criteria set down for this review.
A statement from the commission says the recommendations:
- Significantly reduce county boundary breaches that see people voting in a constituency outside of their county;
- Maintain a relative balance of seats across constituencies — as the number of three-seat constituencies will be 13 instead of nine, the number of four-seat constituencies will be 15 instead of 17 and the number of five-seat constituencies will be 15 instead of 13.
Following the redraw announcement, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín called for the Constitution to be amended to cap the number of TDs in the Dáil.
“We have enough TDs. We don't need anymore. I believe it is now time to hold a referendum to amend this constitutional requirement to increase the number TDs each time the census reveals significant population growth,” Mr Tóibín said.
The Meath West TD also questioned the increase in the number of three-seater constituencies, saying they “militate against smaller parties”.
The full review can be read here: