Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005
| Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Oireachtas | |
| |
| Citation | No. 16 of 2005 |
| Signed | 9 July 2005 |
| Commenced | 9 July 2005 & 29 April 2007 |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill citation | No. 6 of 2005 |
| Introduced by | Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Dick Roche ) |
| Introduced | 8 March 2005 |
| Repeals | |
| Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995 | |
| Amended by | |
| Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009 | |
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.
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High Court, and delivered its report in January 2004.[2][3] The Act implemented the recommendations of this report and repealed the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998, which had defined constituencies since the 2002 general election.[4] The size of the Dáil remained at 166, arranged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[edit]The schedule of constituencies in this Act was repealed by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009, which created a new schedule of constituencies first used at the 2011 general election for the 31st Dáil held on 25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]
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).
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 |
| 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]- ^ 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.
- ^ "Report on Dáil Constituencies, 2004" (PDF). Constituency Commission. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ "Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005 – Explanatory Memorandum" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ "Electoral boundaries challenge rejected". RTÉ News. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ Murphy v. Minister For Environment [2007] IEHC H185, [2008] 3 I.R. 438 (7 June 2007), High Court (Ireland)
- ^ 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.
- ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, Schedule (No. 16 of 2005, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 December 2021.