Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 July 2016
324. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to revise the Dáil constituency boundaries following census 2016; the terms of reference for the new commission; if he has a timescale to finalise this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21947/16]
View answerImmediately following the publication of the preliminary results of Census 2016 by the Central Statistics Office on 14 July 2016, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of the Electoral Act 1997, I made an Order establishing a Constituency Commission to review Dáil and European Parliament constituencies.
The function of the Constituency Commission is to make a report on the constituencies for the election of members of the Dáil and the members of the European Parliament having regard to Article 16 of the Constitution and to the terms of reference set out in section 6(2) of the Electoral Act 1997.
The Commission is required to report to the Chairperson of the Dáil no later than three months after the publication by the Central Statistics Office of the final population results, which are expected in March 2017.
