Electoral Divisions Report

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 June 2013

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Ceisteanna (60)

Andrew Doyle

Ceist:

60. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the report on the Constituency Commission produced in June 2012 recommending no changes to electoral boundaries for European Parliament elections; in view of a decision taken at European level to reduce Ireland’s number of MEPs from 12 to 11 at the next European Parliament elections in 2014, the implications it has on the report; if he is considering forming a new Commission to report on electoral boundaries for next year’s European Parliament elections in view of the number of constituencies needing to be revised; if the new report will be taking submissions from the public in a suitable timeframe as per all previous Constituency Commission reports on Dáil and European Parliament boundaries; when submissions will be taken from the public regarding the boundaries; when the Commission will be reporting to the Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26847/13]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Constituencies for European Parliament elections were most recently reported on in the 2012 Constituency Commission Report, where no change to the existing arrangement of European Parliament constituencies was recommended. At the time of that report there was no change to the number of members to be elected in Ireland. However, with the accession of Croatia to the European Union this year, there is a need to adjust the distribution of seats in the European Parliament. This is done on the initiative of the European Parliament which adopted a resolution on 13 March 2013 on the composition of the European Parliament for the 2014 – 2019 term. That resolution includes a reduction, from twelve to eleven, in the number of representatives to be elected in Ireland. The matter will next go to the European Council for decision by unanimity and with the consent of the European Parliament.

In the event that the number of MEPs to be elected to represent Ireland is reduced it will be necessary to review and revise the constituency arrangement. This can be addressed once decisions are made in Europe. In the meantime my Department is giving consideration to how such a review might be carried out having regard to the provisions of the relevant legislation. In that context, the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2013, currently being drafted, will provide for necessary amendments to the Electoral Act 1997.