Southside sees changes to constituency boundaries

THERE will be major changes to four Dáil constituencies on the Southside under new recommendations announced recently by the Constituency Commission.

The commission has recommended changes to some constituencies and a reduction in the number of TDs from 166 to 158. The reduction in seats will also result in the number of constituencies dropping from 43 to 40.

The Dublin South constituency, which is currently a Fine Gael stronghold with three sitting TDs, will be renamed and will lose two seats when the recommendations of the Constituency Commission are eventually implemented.

The

‘Constituency Commission Report 2012 – Dáil and European Parliament Constituencies’ was presented to the Dáil on June 21.

At the moment the findings of the commission are only recommendations but it is unlikely that any changes will be made, as the main political parties have traditionally accepted them in the past.

In considering recommendations for Dáil constituencies in the Dublin area the commission took population changes,and submissions from the public and administrative county boundaries into account.

Under the recommendations the local authority area of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown will be divided into the four-seat Dún Laoghaire constit­uency and the new three-seat constituency of Dublin Rathdown, which will replace the existing five-seat Dublin South constituency.

The commission therefore recommends the transfer of a population of 13,762 in four electoral divisions from Dublin South to Dún Laoghaire enabling Dún Laoghaire to remain a four-seat constituency.

It also recommends the transfer of nine electoral divisions, with a population of 39,311 in the Ballyboden, Firhouse, Edmondstown and Rathfarnham areas from Dublin South to the four-seat Dublin South West constituency.

The new Dublin South West constituency would then have a total population of 144,908, making it a five-seat constituency in a new 158 member Dáil.

No change is recommended for the Dublin Mid-West constituency, which is currently a four-seater.

This arrangement of constituencies provides for a substantial part of the South Dublin County Council area to be contained in two Dáil constituencies.

The commission also recommends that the number of constituencies in Dublin city be reduced from six to five. This means that Dublin South Central, which currently has five seats would be reduced to a four seater, and that Dublin South East would retain its four seats.

The commission recommends the transfer of 12,563 people in five electoral divisions from Dublin South Central to Dublin South East to provide for the formation of two 4-seat constituencies in the area. The commission has also recommended that Dublin South East should be renamed Dublin Bay South.