Rising population may increase seats in Dáil by 19 after next general election

At present, there are 39 Dáil constituencies and the increase in numbers will force a number of boundary redraws, particularly in urban areas where population growth has been more acute in recent years. File photo

The Dáil will increase by at least nine TDs and possibly as many as 19 TDs after the next General Election because of our rising population.

Electoral Reform Bill amendments approved by the Cabinet will allow for the number of TDs to increase to at least 169 and not more than 179, up from the current number of 160.

At present, there are 39 Dáil constituencies and the increase in numbers will force a number of boundary redraws, particularly in urban areas where population growth has been more acute in recent years.

“An amendment to the terms of reference of the Electoral Commission - the Electoral Commission will be required, following the next census of population, to recommend Dáil constituencies based on a total number of members in Dáil Éireann of not less than 169 and not more than 179,” the memo to Cabinet stated.

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“This is proposed in response to the latest estimates (i.e. 5,011,500) from the Central Statistics Office in respect of population growth. The Commission is independent in setting this figure. The Bill concluded its second stage in the Dáil last week so amendments will be at Committee Stage after Easter,” the memorandum added.

The final number will be decided upon once the recent census data is calculated.

The Constitution states that the number of TDs cannot be more than one for every 20,000 of the population and cannot be less than one for every 30,000. There are 160 TDs. Ireland is divided into 39 constituencies and each constituency must elect at least three members to the Dáil.

Ban on outside influence

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien also won approval to allow for an expanded role of its proposed new Electoral Commission. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien also sought and won Government approval for amendments to the Electoral Reform Bill 2022 and the Electoral Act 1997 to ensure the donations from non-citizens outside the State are not used to influence our elections, democratic process and also to protect it from online interference.

In recent years, there has been constant criticism from Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar of Sinn Féin's large-scale fundraising campaigns in the United States.

Mary Lou McDonald's party also came in for criticism when William Edward Hampton, who died in Wales aged 82, left £1.5 million (€1.7m) to the party in his will. Mr Hamptom was living in a mobile home when he made his last will and testament, in which he left the donation to Sinn Féin.

At Cabinet, Mr O'Brien also won approval to allow for an expanded role of its proposed new Electoral Commission. This will see it have an enhanced monitoring and investigations role in respect of regulating online electoral information.

The new amendment also allows for sanctions where an online platform or a buyer of an online political advertisement fails to provide written information to the Electoral Commission following a request. There will also be some new rules for how political parties operate online.

“A range of statutory obligations that will apply to the users of online platforms not to disseminate false online electoral information which the user knows to be false, or to engage in manipulative or inauthentic behaviour, including the undisclosed use of bots, where such use is capable of affecting the integrity of an election,” the memorandum added.