'Seismic shift in the political landscape' as significant changes made to constituencies
The Electoral Commission has recommended the number of TDs for the next Dáil be increased to 174, up from 160 and four new constituencies have been created.
Political parties are currently trawling through how the findings of the Electoral Commission will impact their political future as significant changes have been made to constituencies across the country.
The Electoral Commission has recommended the number of TDs for the next Dáil be increased to 174, up from 160 and four new constituencies have been created.
The biggest changes have occurred in Cork, Dublin, Tipperary, Laois-Offaly, Meath, and there has been criticism of the commission’s decision to create a new inter-county constituency of Wicklow-Wexford.
The commission has also decided to put some parts of Co Kilkenny, currently in the Carlow/Kilkenny constituency, transferred to a new Tipperary North constituency.
The review of the boundary changes has led to the number of three-seat constituencies increasing to 13 instead of nine, the number of four-seat constituencies would be 15 instead of 17 and the number of five-seat constituencies would be 15 instead of 13.
Seven constituencies will remain unchanged entirely since the last review, including Cork South-West, Clare, Donegal, Dublin Central. Kerry, Limerick County and Waterford.
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.
The additional seat in Cork South-Central will be welcomed by the three ministers there — Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Enterprise and Trade Minister Simon Coveney and Finance Minister Michael McGrath.
The transfer of Mallow’s electoral division from Cork East to Cork North Central is a significant change which will negatively impact incumbent Labour TD Seán Sherlock and may potentially force him to run in Cork North Central.
Mr Sherlock said he was "assessing what is a seismic shift in the political landscape".
"It’s too early to make any detailed comment. I need some time to analyse this.”
The main headline from Cork North-West is the transfer of Ballincollig to Cork North Central and the inclusion from Cork East of electoral divisions north of Mallow such as Buttevant, Doneraile and Ballyclough. Cork South-West remains a three-seat constituency.
Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann Jerry Buttimer said he was "delighted" his Bishopstown electoral base has been returned to the constituency of Cork South-Central, adding he intended to stand there in the next general election.
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 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.
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 in both the towns of Arklow and Gorey.
This move by the commission has also drawn criticism due to the break-up of some of the boundaries. Also, at present not a single TD lives in the constituency.
All of the five TDs in Wicklow live in the north of the county, in the Bray and Greystones area. It is the same in Wexford, where all five live in the southern side of the county from Enniscorthy south.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has faced scrutiny for being too conservative and not “future proofing” the Dáil constituencies as significant further changes will need to be made again after the next Census, in five years.
However, the commission said it was not tasked with the job of future proofing and it abided by the terms of reference to maintain continuity where possible.
The commission also said it was time to start the conversation about whether Constitutional reform was required to address the issue of increasing the number of TDs due to the Constitutional position that there must be one TD for every 20,000 to 30,000 people.
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