Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 May 2018
274. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to initiate a boundary commission on European Parliament boundaries in view of a recent parliament decision to extend the number of MEP seats here from 11 to 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21898/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe composition of the current 2014-2019 European Parliament was established by European Council Decision 2013/312/EU of 28 June 2013 which, in the case of Ireland, provided for the election of 11 MEPs. The current number of MEPs in the European Parliament is 750 plus the President with each Member State having between 6 and 96 Members.
Council Decision 2013/312/EU provided that it would be revised again in advance of the 2019-2024 parliamentary term upon an initiative of the European Parliament to be presented to the European Council before the end of 2016. The launch of this process was, however, postponed by the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (i.e. the AFCO Committee) until after the referendum in the United Kingdom on its withdrawal from the European Union.
Following a report in the matter by the AFCO Committee, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on 7 February 2018 which contains a Proposal for a Decision of the European Council establishing the composition of the European Parliament. In broad terms, the proposal provides, among other things, that:
when the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union becomes legally effective, 27 of the United Kingdom’s 73 seats would be re-distributed among 14 Member States, of which 2 would go to Ireland, increasing Ireland’s MEPs from 11 to 13 in number. This would mean a reduction in the overall size of the European Parliament from 751 to 705 members;
- however, as set out in the Parliament's resolution, if the date on which the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union becomes legally effective takes place after the European Parliament elections are held in mid-2019, the number of MEPs to be elected from each Member State for the 2019-2024 parliamentary term would remain the same as that of the current parliament. The additional seats would only be filled on the date after which the United Kingdom's withdrawal becomes legally effective.
The proposal, which will require unanimity, is now under consideration within the European Council; the consent of the Parliament will be sought by the Council by way of written procedure. Subject to the consent of the European Parliament, it is anticipated that the proposal will be adopted by the European Council at its meeting on 28 June 2018.
In the event that Ireland’s total number of seats in the European Parliament is changed in respect of the 2019-2024 parliamentary term, it will be necessary to review our European constituency arrangements. Under section 5(1A) of the Electoral Act 1997, provision is made for the establishment of a Constituency Commission in such circumstances to review, and report with recommendations on, European Parliament constituencies. This was done in 2013 prior to the last elections to the European Parliament.
