Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 January 2012
139 Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the boundary revisions of the local electoral areas will be changed in advance of the summer 2014 local elections in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4490/12]
View answerUnlike for Dáil constituencies, there are no constitutional or statutory requirements in relation to the frequency of local electoral area boundary reviews. The most recent reviews of local electoral areas were carried out in 1998 and 2008. The June 2009 local elections took place on the basis of the local electoral areas enacted following the 2008 review. The establishment of unified local authorities in Limerick and Tipperary will give rise to a review of the local electoral areas in these counties and requirements arising from any further Government decisions in relation to the ongoing programme of local government reform will also be considered.
The next local elections are due to take place in 2014 and I will give consideration to the need for a review of local electoral areas in the light of the final results from Census 2011 which are due at the end of March and which will give clear information on population change in local electoral areas. Other relevant factors, including the report of the Constituency Commission established in July 2011 to review Dáil and European Parliament constituencies and any related subsequent decisions of the Oireachtas will also be taken into account.
