Electoral Process

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022

Wednesday, 13 July 2022

Questions (228)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

228. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he intends to convene a new Constituency Commission following on from the preliminary Census results which were published on 23 June 2022. [38184/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Electoral Reform Bill 2022, which is currently progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas, provides for, among other matters, the establishment of an Electoral Commission.  In addition, the Bill provides for the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies to be undertaken by the new Electoral Commission following its establishment.  The Bill also provides for the repeal of Part II of the Electoral Act 1997 (including section 5 which currently provides for the establishment of a Constituency Commission following the publication of a Census of Population Report setting out the preliminary result of a Census).

Under the provisions of the Electoral Reform Bill, the Report of the Electoral Commission on the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies will be published within three months of the publication of final Census results.  This mirrors current arrangements whereby a Constituency Commission must complete its work within three months of the publication of final Census results.  While the publication of final Census results is a matter for the Central Statistics Office, final results are anticipated for publication in Spring 2023.

This would indicate that a final report from the Electoral Commission on Dáil and European Parliament constituencies would be expected in Summer 2023.  It will be a matter for the Oireachtas to legislate for revised constituency boundaries following its consideration of the final report of the Commission.

It is intended that the Electoral Commission will be established as a matter of priority following enactment of the Electoral Reform Bill 2022.  In this regard, a transitional team has been put in place in my Department to progress the administrative elements of the Commission's establishment.