Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005

The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 (No. 16) is a law of Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies in light of the 2002 census. The new constituencies took effect on the dissolution of the 29th Dáil on 29 April 2007 and a general election for the 30th Dáil on the revised constituencies took place on 24 May 2007.

Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005
Oireachtas
  • AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF DÁIL ÉIREANN AND FOR THE REVISION OF CONSTITUENCIES, TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO THE ELECTION OF SUCH MEMBERS AND TO AMEND THE ELECTORAL ACT 1997.
CitationNo. 16 of 2005
Signed9 July 2005
Commenced9 July 2005 & 29 April 2007
Legislative history
Bill citationNo. 6 of 2005
Introduced byMinister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Dick Roche )
Introduced8 March 2005
Repeals
Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995
Amended by
Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009

Provisions edit

In July 2003, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government established an independent Constituency Commission under terms of the Electoral Act 1997.[1] The commission was chaired by Vivian Lavan, judge of the High Court, and delivered its report in January 2004.[2][3] The Act implemented the recommendations of this report and repealed the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998, which had defined constituencies since the 2002 general election.[4] The size of the Dáil remained at 166, arranged in 43 constituencies (an increase in one since the previous revision).[5]

It also made an amendment the Electoral Act 1997 to clarify an issue raised by the Standards in Public Office Commission in relation to the definition of election expenses.[6][7]

High Court challenge edit

The Act was challenged in the High Court by Finian McGrath TD and former TD Catherine Murphy on the grounds that it left too many constituencies under or over-represented. The High Court rejected this challenge.[8][9]

Repeal of constituencies edit

The schedule of constituencies in this Act was repealed by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009, which created a new schedule of constituencies first used at the 2011 general election for the 31st Dáil held on 25 February 2011.[10]

Constituencies for the 30th Dáil edit

 
Dáil constituencies for the 2007 general election.

Key to columns

  • Created: The year of the election when a constituency of the same name was last created.
  • Seats: The number of TDs elected from the constituency under the Act.
  • Change: Change in the number of seats since the last distribution of seats (which took effect in 2002).
Constituency[11] Created Seats Change
Carlow–Kilkenny 1948 5 none
Cavan–Monaghan 1977 5 none
Clare 1921 4 none
Cork East 1981 4 none
Cork North-Central 1981 4 − 1
Cork North-West 1981 3 none
Cork South-Central 1981 5 none
Cork South-West 1961 3 none
Donegal North-East 1981 3 none
Donegal South-West 1981 3 none
Dublin Central 1981 4 none
Dublin Mid-West 2002 4 + 1
Dublin North 1981 4 none
Dublin North-Central 1948 3 − 1
Dublin North-East 1981 3 none
Dublin North-West 1981 3 none
Dublin South 1981 5 none
Dublin South-Central 1948 5 none
Dublin South-East 1948 4 none
Dublin South-West 1981 4 none
Dublin West 1981 3 none
Dún Laoghaire 1977 5 none
Galway East 1977 4 none
Galway West 1937 5 none
Kerry North 1969 3 none
Kerry South 1937 3 none
Kildare North 1997 4 + 1
Kildare South 1997 3 none
Limerick East 1948 5 none
Limerick West 1948 3 none
Longford–Westmeath 2007 4 + 4
Louth 1923 4 none
Mayo 1997 5 none
Meath East 2007 3 + 3
Meath West 2007 3 + 3
Roscommon–South Leitrim 2007 3 + 3
Sligo–North Leitrim 2007 3 + 3
Tipperary North 1948 3 none
Tipperary South 1948 3 none
Waterford 1923 4 none
Wexford 1921 5 none
Wicklow 1923 5 none

Summary of changes edit

This list, and those below, summarises the changes in representation. It does not address revisions to the boundaries of constituencies.

Constituency Created Seats Change
Cork North-Central 1981 4 − 1 seat
Dublin Mid-West 2002 4 + 1 seat
Dublin North-Central 1948 3 − 1 seat
Kildare North 1997 4 + 1 seat
Laois–Offaly 2007 5 renamed from Laoighis–Offaly
Longford–Roscommon 1992 4 abolished
Longford–Westmeath 2007 4 new constituency
Meath 1948 5 abolished
Meath East 2007 3 new constituency
Meath West 2007 3 new constituency
Roscommon–South Leitrim 2007 3 new constituency
Sligo–Leitrim 1948 4 abolished
Sligo–North Leitrim 2007 3 new constituency
Westmeath 1992 3 abolished

References edit

  1. ^ Constituency Commission (Establishment) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 292 of 2003). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Report on Dáil Constituencies, 2004" (PDF). Constituency Commission. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  4. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, s. 5: Repeal (No. 16 of 2005, s. 5). Enacted on 9 July 2005. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 19 November 2021.
  5. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, s. 2: Number of members of Dáil Éireann (No. 16 of 2005, s. 2). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 December 2021.
  6. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, s. 6: Amendment of Schedule to Electoral Act 1997 (No. 16 of 2005, s. 6). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005 – Explanatory Memorandum" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Electoral boundaries challenge rejected". RTÉ News. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  9. ^ Murphy v. Minister For Environment [2007] IEHC H185, [2008] 3 I.R. 438 (7 June 2007), High Court (Ireland)
  10. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009, s. 6: Repeal (No. 4 of 2009, s. 6). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 December 2021.
  11. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, Schedule (No. 16 of 2005, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 December 2021.