Electoral Commission Establishment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016

Friday, 16 September 2016

Questions (613)

Brendan Smith

Question:

613. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the the status of the establishment of the new constituency commission. [20906/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Immediately 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 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 Census results, which are expected in March 2017.