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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Mar 1968

Vol. 233 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Electoral Statistics.

28.

asked the Minister for Local Government (a) the national average of population per Deputy in accordance with the 1966 census, (b) the national average of voters per Deputy in accordance with the current register, and (c) the percentage deviation from the national average which the High Court indicated would be acceptable.

The national average population per Deputy in accordance with the 1966 Census is 20,028.

The national average electorate per Deputy in accordance with the current register of electors is 11,899.

It would appear from the High Court judgment in question that a maximum divergence above or below the national average population per Deputy of about 1,000 in any constituency would be permissible. Expressed as a percentage of the present national average, this would result in a maximum divergence of about five per cent above and five per cent below the average. The corresponding divergence from the national average of voters per Deputy would be 595.

Does that mean a tolerance of ten per cent altogether, five each side?

Five per cent below and five per cent above.

Fair enough: that is 10 per cent.

Five per cent.

It is not necessarily ten per cent.

It is 9.99999.

It depends whether you take the percentage in the higher figure or the lower figure.

The lower.

It is not ten per cent, the way Fine Gael do it anyway.

29.

asked the Minister for Local Government what information there is in his Department as to what divergence from the principle of one man one vote occurs from basing Dáil representation strictly on population.

Since the ratio of electors to population in constituencies varies substantially, strict adherence to population would inevitably mean that the value of each vote would vary substantially and would in general have a lower value in rural areas. The maximum difference in value is estimated at approximately 33 per cent.

30.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in respect of each existing Dáil constituency (a) the population in accordance with the 1966 census, (b) the number of voters on the current register, (c) the population per Deputy, (d) the number of voters per Deputy, (e) voters as a percentage of population, (f) the number and percentage by which the population per Deputy exceeds or falls short of the national average, and (g) the number and percentage by which the voters per Deputy exceed or fall short of the national average.

As the reply includes a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

It will be clear from these figures that, if Dáil seats are distributed on the basis of equality of population per Deputy as provided by the Constitution at present, it will require 33 per cent more voters to elect a Deputy in South-West Donegal than in North-West Dublin, that there will be serious disparities in the effect of votes in many other areas, and that in some cases, where the population per Deputy is substantially below the national average, the number of voters per Deputy is above the national average.

Following is the statement:-

Constituency

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

Population (1966 Census)

Number of Electors (1967/68 Register)

Population per Deputy

Electors per Deputy

Electorate as % of population

Population per Deputy exceeds (+) or falls short (-) of national average by

Electorate per Deputy exceeds (+) or falls short (-) of national average by

Carlow-Kilkenny

98,454

58,246

19,691

11,649

59.16

- 337

-1.68

- 250

-2.10

Cavan

54,022

34,301

18,007

11,434

63.50

-2,021

-10.09

- 465

-3.91

Clare

73,597

48,182

18,399

12,045

65.47

-1,629

-8.13

+146

+1.23

Cork Borough

104,846

59,019

20,969

11,804

56.29

+ 941

+4.70

- 95

-.80

Mid Cork

84,258

51,330

21,065

12,832

60.92

+1,037

+5.18

+933

+7.84

North-East Cork

97,270

59,345

19,454

11,869

61.01

- 574

-2.87

- 30

-.25

South-West Cork

53,329

34,683

17,776

11,561

65.04

-2,252

-11.24

- 338

-2.84

North-East Donegal

55,649

34,781

18,550

11,594

62.50

-1,478

-7.38

- 305

-2.56

South-West Donegal

52,900

35,837

17,633

11,946

67.74

-2,395

-11.96

+47

+ .39

Dublin North-Central

66,842

38,557

16,711

9,639

57.68

-3,317

-16.56

-2,260

-19.00

Dublin North-East

139,163

78,192

27,833

15,638

56.19

+7,805

+38.97

+3,739

+31.42

Dublin North-West

81,841

41,705

27,280

13,902

50.96

+7,252

+36.21

+2,003

+16.83

Dublin South-Central

90,687

53,295

18,137

10,659

58.77

-1,891

-9.44

-1,240

-10.42

Dublin South-East

65,808

41,013

21,936

13,671

62.32

+1,908

+9.53

+1,772

+14.89

Dublin South-West

100,221

58,097

20,044

11,619

57.97

+ 16

+0.08

- 280

-2.35

Dublin County

145,903

74,600

29,181

14,920

51.13

+9,153

+45.70

+3,021

+25.09

Dún Laoighare and Rathdown

104,582

61,322

26,146

15,330

58.64

+6,118

+30.55

+3,431

+28.83

East Galway

89,836

53,725

17,967

10,745

59.80

-2,061

-10.29

-1,154

-9.70

West Galway

58,504

33,875

19,501

11,292

57.90

- 527

-2.63

- 607

-5.10

North Kerry

56,157

34,762

18,719

11,587

61.90

-1,309

-6.54

- 312

-2.62

South Kerry

56,628

35,325

18,876

11,775

62.38

-1,152

-5.75

- 124

-1.04

Kildare

79,998

46,021

20,000

11,505

57.53

- 28

-.14

- 394

-3.31

Laoighis-Offaly

96,312

56,182

19,262

11,236

58.33

- 766

-3.83

- 663

-5.57

East Limerick

83,022

46,493

20,756

11,623

56.00

+728

+3.63

- 276

-2.32

West Limerick

54,335

32,958

18,112

10,986

60.66

-1,916

-9.57

- 913

-7.67

Longford-Westmeath

74,788

44,325

18,697

11,081

59.27

-1,331

-6.65

- 818

-6.87

Louth

61,926

37,327

20,642

12,442

60.28

+614

+3.07

+543

+4.56

North Mayo

50,315

31,109

16,772

10,370

61.83

-3,256

-16.26

-1,529

-12.85

South Mayo

67,798

41,857

16,950

10,464

61.74

-3,078

-15.37

-1,435

-12.06

Meath

60,830

35,754

20,277

11,918

58.78

+249

+1.24

+19

+ .15

Monaghan

53,325

32,777

17,775

10,926

61.47

-2,253

-11.25

- 973

-8.18

Roscommon

67,605

43,511

16,901

10,878

64.36

-3,127

-15.61

-1,021

-8.58

Sligo-Leitrim

67,892

42,863

16,973

10,716

63.13

-3,055

-15.25

-1,183

-9.94

North Tipperary

56,440

34,295

18,813

11,432

60.76

-1,215

-6.07

- 467

-3.92

South Tipperary

77,121

45,988

19,280

11,497

59.63

- 748

-3.73

- 402

-3.38

Waterford

62,331

37,707

20,777

12,569

60.49

+749

+3.74

+670

+5.63

Wexford

79,039

47,449

19,760

11,862

60.03

- 268

-1.34

- 37

-.31

Wicklow

60,428

36,658

20,143

12,219

60.67

+115

+0.57

+320

+2.69

Total

2,884,002

1,713,466

20,028

11,899

59.41

In North-West Donegal is it not because of the Ceann Comhairle?

It is not affected by the Ceann Comhairle. There is no such constituency as North-West Donegal.

South-West: I beg your pardon.

There is such a place as north-west Donegal.

31.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in respect of each existing Dáil constituency (a) the maximum, (b) the minimum population which will enable the present number of Deputies to be retained in compliance with the decision of the High Court, (c) the number by which the population in accordance with the 1966 census exceeds the maximum for the present number of seats, and (d) the number by which the population in accordance with the 1966 census falls short of the minimum for the present number of seats.

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

Population required to retain present number of seats

Number by which the population--

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

Constituency

Maximum

Minimum

exceeds the maximum in Column (a)

falls short of minimum in Column (b)

Carlow-Kilkenny

105,140

95,140

Cavan

63,084

57,084

3,062

Clare

84,112

76,112

2,515

Cork Borough

105,140

95,140

Mid Cork

84,112

76,112

146

North-East Cork

105,140

95,140

South-West Cork

63,084

57,084

3,755

North-East Donegal

63,084

57,084

1,435

South-West Donegal

63,084

57,084

4,184

Dublin North-Central

84,112

76,112

9,270

Dublin North-East

105,140

95,140

34,023

Dublin North-West

63,084

57,084

18,757

Dublin South-Central

105,140

95,140

4,453

Dublin South-East

63,084

57,084

2,724

Dublin South-West

105,140

95,140

Dublin County

105,140

95,140

40,763

Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown

84,112

76,112

20,470

East Galway

105,140

95,140

5,304

West Galway

63,084

57,084

North Kerry

63,084

57,084

927

South Kerry

63,084

57,084

456

Kildare

84,112

76,112

Laoighis-Offaly

105,140

95,140

East Limerick

84,112

76,112

West Limerick

63,084

57,084

2,749

Longford-Westmeath

84,112

76,112

1,324

Louth

63,084

57,084

North Mayo

63,084

57,084

6,769

South Mayo

84,112

76,112

8,314

Meath

63,084

57,084

Monaghan

63,084

57,084

3,759

Roscommon

84,112

76,112

8,507

Sligo-Leitrim

84,112

76,112

8,220

North Tipperary

63,084

57,084

644

South Tipperary

84,112

76,112

Waterford

63,084

57,084

Wexford

84,112

76,112

Wicklow

63,084

57,084

NOTE: Population figures used are 1966 Census figures.

32.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will indicate the constituencies in which portions of counties have been attached to other counties in order to comply with the High Court decision requiring the ratio of population per Deputy to be the same in each constituency; and if he will state in each case the numbers so transferred.

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

Constituencies in which portions of counties attached to other counties

Population (1956 Census) of portions of counties so attached

Carlow-Kilkenny

4,652 from County Wexford attached to Counties Carlow and Kilkenny.

Kildare

6,545 from County Meath attached to County Kildare.

Kildare

7,106 from County Westmeath attached to County Kildare.

South Mayo

2,931 from County Roscommon attached to part of County Mayo. (Balance of County Mayo in North Mayo Constituency).

Monaghan

7,751 from County Louth attached to County Monaghan

Roscommon

16,600 from County Leitrim attached to part of County Roscommon. (Balance of County Roscommon in South Mayo Constituency).

Sligo-Leitrim

20,456 from County Leitrim attached to County Sligo

North Tipperary

2,901 from Tipperary South Riding attached to Tipperary North Riding.

South Tipperary

11,878 from County Waterford attached to part of Tipperary South Riding. (Balance of Tipperary South Riding in North Tipperary Constituency.)

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