Ireland South constituency loses Laois and Offaly

The Electoral Commission has recommended to the Oireachtas that for European Parliament elections, the Midlands-North West constituency should be granted an extra seat. It also recommended the relocation of Laois and Offaly from the South constituency to the Midlands constituency, going from a four-seater to a five-seater constituency.

Currently, Ireland holds 13 MEP seats distributed among three constituencies. This number is set to rise to 14 in June.

The recommendations follow a month-long public consultation with submissions received from political parties, elected representatives and interested individuals. The Commission stated that the recommendations meet the statutory requirements that there should be reasonable equality of representation between constituencies; that each constituency must have between 3 and 5 seats; that breaches of county boundaries should be avoided; and that continuity should where possible be maintained.

Chair of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, the Electoral Commission, Supreme Court Judge, Ms Justice Marie Baker said: “In late September a long-awaited EU decision allocated an additional 14th MEP seat to Ireland, stemming from our growing population and EU rules on the European Parliament’s composition.

“Our recommendation is to allocate this additional seat to the Midlands-North West constituency, making it a five-seater and bringing in the counties of Offaly and Laois into that constituency from the South. The Dublin constituency remains unchanged.

“As Ireland’s independent electoral commission, we have worked quickly to ensure this recommendation is brought forward ahead of the statutory schedule. It is now for the Oireachtas to consider and legislate appropriately.”

Seán Kelly, MEP for Ireland South, has described the Electoral Commission’s decision as “bittersweet”, but “logical, considering the constituency’s recent history and location of the counties”.

"When you look at it, Ireland really is a European success story, transformed by the opportunities afforded by the EU. Evolving from a benefactor to a contributor, and considering the implications of Brexit as well as population growth, it was undeniable that Ireland should have an additional MEP," said Kelly.

“These adjustments are necessary due to changes in population figures, as the current allocation of seats in the Parliament no longer aligns with the Treaty provisions. Ireland's population has grown at a faster pace than other EU member states, therefore in some ways it's a simple calculation that an increase in citizens warrants an increase in MEPs,” he added.

“Making the Midlands-North-West constituency a five seater is a positive step for better representation of rural voices in Europe, and the redistricting is a fitting move.

“Having had the privilege of serving and getting to know the people of Laois and Offaly over the last term, this change is bittersweet, but I hope this adjustment acknowledges and addresses specific challenges and opportunities of communities in Laois and Offaly. Representation of the citizens is the most important thing. In this case, I believe the right decision was made,” Kelly underlined.