Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013

Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013
Oireachtas
  • AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF DÁIL ÉIREANN, FOR THE REVISION OF CONSTITUENCIES AND FOR THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS TO BE ELECTED FOR SUCH CONSTITUENCIES AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.
CitationNo. 7 of 2013
Signed20 March 2013
Commenced3 February 2016
Repealed14 January 2020
Legislative history
Bill citationNo. 84 of 2012
Introduced byMinister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Phil Hogan)
Introduced3 October 2012
Amends
Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009
Repealed by
Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017
Status: Repealed

The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013 (No. 7) is a law of Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies in light of the 2011 census and a requirement to reduce the number of Dáil seats. The new constituencies took effect on the dissolution of the 31st Dáil on 3 February 2016 and a general election for the 32nd Dáil on the revised constituencies took place on 26 February 2016.

The membership of the Dáil had stood at 166 TDs since the 1981 general election. An amendment to electoral law in 2011 set the range of membership at between 153 and 160 TDs.[1] In July 2011, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government established an independent Constituency Commission under the terms of the Electoral Act 1997.[2] The commission was chaired by John Cooke, judge of the High Court, and delivered its report in June 2012.[3]

The Act implemented the recommendations of this report, replacing the Dáil constituencies defined in the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009, which had been in effect since the 2011 general election.[4] The size of the Dáil was reduced to 158 TDs, a reduction of 8, arranged in 40 constituencies.[5]

This act was repealed by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017, which took effect on the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil and was used at the 2020 general election, held on 8 February.[6]

Constituencies for the 32nd Dáil

Dáil constituencies at the 2016 general election
Constituency[7] Created Seats
Carlow–Kilkenny 1948 5
Cavan–Monaghan 1977 4
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 3
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 3
Laois 2016 3
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
Offaly 2016 3
Roscommon–Galway 2016 3
Sligo–Leitrim 2016 4
Tipperary 2016 5
Waterford 1923 4
Wexford 1921 5
Wicklow 1923 5

Overview of changes

Change in seats

This table, summarises the changes in representation. It does not address revisions to the boundaries of constituencies.

Constituency Seats 2011 Seats 2016
Cavan–Monaghan 5 4
Cork South-Central 5 4
Dublin Central 4 3
Dublin South-Central 5 4
Dublin South-West 4 5
Galway East 4 3
Mayo 5 4

Constituencies abolished

Constituency Seats Area now in
Donegal North-East 3 Donegal
Donegal South-West 3 Donegal and Sligo–Leitrim
Dublin North 4 Dublin Fingal
Dublin North-Central 3 Dublin Bay North
Dublin North-East 3 Dublin Bay North
Dublin South 5 Dublin Rathdown, Dublin South-West and Dún Laoghaire
Dublin South-East 4 Dublin Bay South
Kerry North–West Limerick 3 Kerry and Limerick County
Kerry South 3 Kerry
Laois–Offaly 5 Laois and Offaly
Limerick 3 Limerick County
Roscommon–South Leitrim 3 Roscommon–Galway and Sligo–Leitrim
Sligo–North Leitrim 3 Sligo–Leitrim
Tipperary North 3 Tipperary and Offaly
Tipperary South 3 Tipperary

New constituencies

Constituency Seats Area from
Donegal 5 Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West
Dublin Bay North 5 Dublin North-Central and Dublin North-East
Dublin Bay South 4 Dublin South-Central and Dublin South-East
Dublin Fingal 5 Dublin North and Dublin West
Dublin Rathdown 3 Dublin South
Kerry 5 Kerry North–West Limerick and Kerry South
Laois 3 Laois–Offaly
Limerick County 3 Limerick and Kerry North–West Limerick
Offaly 3 Laois–Offaly and Tipperary North
Roscommon–Galway 3 Galway East and Roscommon–South Leitrim
Sligo–Leitrim 4 Cavan–Monaghan, Donegal South-West, Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim
Tipperary 5 Tipperary North and Tipperary South

References

  1. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, s. 3: Amendment of section 6 of Act of 1997 (No. 14 of 2011, s. 3). Enacted on 25 July 2011. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 December 2021.
  2. ^ Constituency Commission (Establishment) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 396 of 2011). Signed on 27 July 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Constituency Commission Report 2012: Dáil and European Parliament Constituencies" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 21 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  4. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, s. 5: Repeal (No. 7 of 2013, s. 5). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 December 2021.
  5. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, s. 2: Number of members of Dáil Éireann (No. 7 of 2013, s. 2). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 December 2021.
  6. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017, s. 6: Repeal (No. 39 of 2017, s. 6). Enacted on 23 December 2017. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 October 2021.
  7. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, Schedule (No. 7 of 2013, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 December 2021.