Dáil Éireann 2017

[Deleted]

...The Commission must make its report to the Chairman of Dáil Éireann no later than three months after the publication of the final results of Census 2016. These results are expected in March 2017.

Can I make suggestions or proposals to the Commission about the constituencies?

Yes. A first task for the Commission is to give public notice and to invite submissions, from interested persons, relating to its task of preparing a report with recommendations on Dáil and European Parliament constituencies.

When can I make a submission?

The closing date for submissions is Tuesday 10 January 2017.

A Constituency Commission has been established under section 5 of the Electoral Act 1997 to report in relation to the constituencies for (a) the election of members to the Dáil and (b) the election of members of the European Parliament. 1. 2. In relation to Dáil constituencies, the Commission is required, in observing the relevant provisions of the Constitution, to have regard to the following: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) the total number of members of the Dáil, subject to Article 16.2.2 of the Constitution, shall be not less than 153 and not more than 160*;

each constituency shall return 3, 4 or 5 members;


the breaching of county boundaries shall be avoided as far as practicable. The reference to county boundaries shall be deemed not to include a reference to the boundary of a city or any boundary between any two of the local government counties of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin;


each constituency shall be composed of contiguous areas;


there shall be regard to geographic considerations including significant physical features and the extent of and the density of population in each constituency;

and subject to the above matters, the Commission shall endeavour to maintain continuity in relation to the arrangement of constituencies. 

The number presently stands at 158. Under Article 16.2.2 of the Constitution the total number of members of Dáil Éireann cannot be fixed at less than one member per 30,000 of the population or at more than one member per 20,000 of the population.


In relation to European Parliament constituencies, the Commission shall have regard to the following: (a) (b) (c) the total number of members to be elected in the State to the European Parliament shall be such as may be specified pursuant to the Treaties governing the European Communities, (the number stands at 11 at present); there shall be reasonable equality of representation as between constituencies; and the matters specified at (b) to (f) of paragraph 1 above.

Bunaíodh An Coimisiún um Thoghlaigh faoi alt 5 den Acht Toghcháin, 1997, chun tuairisciú a dhéanamh maidir leis na dáilcheantair a bhaineann le (a) comhaltaí a thoghadh chun na Dála agus (b) comhaltaí a thoghadh chun Parlaimint na hEorpa. 1. 2. Maidir le toghlaigh Dála, is gá don Choimisiún agus forálacha ábhartha Bhunreacht na hÉireann á mbreathnú aige, aird a thabhairt ar an méid seo a leanas: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) ní bheidh líon iomlán na gcomhaltaí sa Dáil, faoi réir Airteagal 16.2.2 den Bhunreacht, níos lú ná 153 ná níos mó ná 160*;

3, 4, nó 5 chomhalta a thoghfar do gach toghlach;

seachnófar sárú teorainneacha contae chomh fada agus is indéanta. Measfar nach gcumhdaíonn an tagairt do theorainneacha contae tagairt do theorainn cathrach ná d'aon teorainn idir aon dá cheann de chontaetha rialtais áitiúil Dhún Laoghaire-Ráth an Dúin, Fhine Gall agus Bhaile Átha Cliath Theas;


beidh gach toghlach comhdhéanta de limistéir a thadhlaíonn lena chéile; tabharfar aird ar thosca tíreolaíochta, lena n-áirítear gnéithe suntasacha fisiciúla, méid agus dlús an daonra i ngach toghlach; agus faoi réir na nithe thuas, féachfaidh an Coimisiún le leanúnachas a choinneáil maidir le socrú toghlach. 


Is é an líon atá ann faoi láthair ná 158.


Faoi Airteagal 16.2.2 den Bhunreacht, ní féidir líon iomlán na gcomhaltaí i nDáil Éireann a shocrú a bheith níos lú ná comhalta an 30,000 duine den daonra ná a bheith níos mó ná comhalta an 20,000 duine den daonra.

Maidir le toghlaigh Pharlaimint na hEorpa, beidh aird ag an gCoimisiún ar an méid seo a leanas: (a) (b) (c) beidh líon iomlán na gcomhaltaí atá le toghadh sa Stát chun Parlaimint na hEorpa de réir mar a shonrófar de bhun na gConarthaí a rialaíonn na Pobail Eorpacha, (11 atá ann faoi láthair); beidh comhionannas réasúnta ionadaíochta ann idir thoghlaigh; agus na nithe a shonraítear ó (b) go (f) in alt 1 thuas.

[Devil Wincarnate]

In the spirit of Irish history, will Fine Gael decide it's time to fiddle with the boundaries with hideous consequences?

[obsie]

Taken out of their hands (or out of the hands of any party) back in 1977 by the much-maligned Fianna Fáil government of the time. The boundaries have always been drawn by a commission since then. The most that politicians can do is tinker with the terms of reference (number of seats, preference for maintaining existing boundaries, etc.).

[An Sionnach Flannbhuí]

Currently on a phone or would reply fully.

The Constitution says no.more than 1 TD per 30000 people. But the 2016 census shows population divided by 158 TDs at present is 30114. So, unconstitutional. NB the courts have said this only applies to the state as a whole, individual constituencies can have a greater ratio than 30000.

The 2011 Electoral Act says the Dail must have between 153 and 160 TDs. 159 or 160 would work.

159 would suit best. The numbers would suggest Co Dublin go up from 44 to 45, no change "west of the Red Cow roundabout".

The courts also suggest max deviance from average should be 5% so I can see scope for change in Roscommon-Galway, Co Cork, others that are in the link quoted above.

[An Sionnach Flannbhuí]

Not quoted, here it is

www.constituency-commission.ie/cc-state.html

[greenhert]

Oct 6, 2016 20:24:40 GMT An Sionnach Flannbhuí said:

Currently on a phone or would reply fully.

The Constitution says no.more than 1 TD per 30000 people. But the 2016 census shows population divided by 158 TDs at present is 30114. So, unconstitutional. NB the courts have said this only applies to the state as a whole, individual constituencies can have a greater ratio than 30000.

The 2011 Electoral Act says the Dail must have between 153 and 160 TDs. 159 or 160 would work.

159 would suit best. The numbers would suggest Co Dublin go up from 44 to 45, no change "west of the Red Cow roundabout".

The courts also suggest max deviance from average should be 5% so I can see scope for change in Roscommon-Galway, Co Cork, others that are in the link quoted above.

Ireland's ratio of representative to people is particularly generous by the standards of modern democracies, I must say

In Britain by comparison, a few MPs have to represent over 100,000 people (because sizes are based on electorate, not census populations, even though many nations use census populations for drawing up regions/constituencies for their parliaments). A similar clause would be useful for Britain, even if it ended up favouring London above all other places.

[greatkingrat]

The number of TDs is similar to other European countries of similar size. Norway has 169, while Croatia has 151.

The cube root rule would give Ireland 168 representatives.