Government TDs face anxious future as key constituencies lose seats
The number of constituencies will drop from 43 to 40, with the existing boundaries redrawn in a number of them.
The changes have been recommended by the independent Constituency Commission, established under law to ensure the population of each constituency is sufficiently represented.
It is long-standing practice that commission recommendations are accepted by the government of the day, and Taoiseach Enda Kenny signalled yesterday that his administration would do likewise.
However, it means many of the TDs in his party, as well as those in Labour, will be facing uphill battles to get re-elected next time out.
If the Government lasts its full term, the next general election will be in 2016 and the changes will come into force then.
Under the Constitution, there must be at least one TD for every 30,000 of the population. However, the Fine Gael-Labour coalition promised to reduce the number of TDs while respecting the constitutional requirement.
As a result, the Constituency Commission was asked to make its recommendations based on a range of 153 to 160 TDs, compared with the 166 currently in the Dáil.
The commission settled on 158, taking into account the 348,000 increase in the last census.
There are significant changes to constituencies in Dublin, while Cork South Central will lose a seat and the two three-seat constituencies in Kerry will be merged into a single five-seater.
Likewise, the two three-seat constituencies in Donegal will be merged into a single five-seater, as will the two three-seat constituencies in Tipperary.
In contrast, the five-seat Laois/Offaly constituency will be split into two three-seaters.
TDs pored over the report in Leinster House yesterday as they considered the implications of it.
Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary quipped that he hadn’t seen so many people perusing maps since sitting his Leaving Cert geography exam.
The report will leave numerous TDs, particularly on the Government benches, worried about their political futures.
Cork South Central TD Jerry Buttimer, for example, will see part of his electoral stronghold transferred to Cork North Central.
Dublin South, meanwhile, is being reduced from a five to a three-seater, which means some of the four Government TDs in the constituency may have to switch to another one at the next election.
Fianna Fáil local government spokesman Niall Collins argued that reducing the number of TDs was merely “tinkering at the edges”.
He accused the Government of missing an opportunity for real political reform. “Fine Gael and Labour talked about real change before coming into power, but all we are seeing is a tinkering at the edges. Reducing the number of TDs by eight is not real political reform.”
He said the powers of the Oireachtas should be beefed up to hold the Government to account properly and that outside experts who are not TDs should be allowed serve as ministers.
“The political system as it is has not delivered. Simply cutting a few TDs doesn’t change a single thing.”
* The overall number of Dáil constituencies to fall from 43 to 40.
* The overall number of TDs to fall from 166 to 158.
* Cork South Central to lose one seat and see a part of the constituency transferred to Cork North Central.
* The two three-seaters of Kerry South and Kerry North/West Limerick to be effectively merged as a single five-seat constituency named Kerry.
* The Limerick part of Kerry North/West Limerick to be transferred back to Limerick proper, thereby removing the breach of the county boundary. The existing constituency of Limerick to be renamed Limerick County and remain a three-seater. The separate constituency of Limerick City to remain a four-seater.
* Part of Tipperary to transfer to a new Offaly constituency. The current three-seat constituencies of Tipperary North and Tipperary South to be merged as a single five-seater.
* The three-seat Offaly constituency would mean splitting the Laois-Offaly constituency. Laois to become a three-seat constituency in its own right.
* The two three-seaters of Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West to become a single five-seat constituency named Donegal. Part of the south Donegal electoral area to be transferred to the Sligo-Leitrim constituency.
* Significant change in Dublin, with the overall number of seats to fall from 47 to 44.
* Dublin North to be renamed Dublin Fingal, with areas from other constituencies transferred to it.
* A chunk of Dublin Central to transfer to Dublin West in order for the latter to remain a four-seat constituency.
* Dublin Central to be reduced from four seats to three.
* Some parts of Dublin South to transfer elsewhere and the constituency to fall from a five-seater to a three-seater.
* Dublin-North East and Dublin North-Central to be merged as a single five-seat constituency called Dublin Bay North.
* Dublin South-East to be renamed Dublin Bay South.
* Dublin South-Central to lose one of its five seats.
* Mayo to lose one of its five seats, with a chunk of the constituency transferred to Galway West.
* The country of Roscommon with part of east Galway to form a new three-seat constituency called Roscommon/Galway.
* Just 11 constituencies to remain entirely unchanged — Longford/Westmeath, Meath East, Carlow/Kilkenny, Wexford, Louth, Meath West, Cork East, Wicklow, Clare, Dublin Mid-West, Cork South-West.
See Constituency Commission Boundaries map here
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