| Short Title: | Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 |
| Legislature: | Oireachtas |
| Long Title: | 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. |
| Citation: | No. 16 of 2005 |
| Date Signed: | 9 July 2005 |
| Date Commenced: | 9 July 2005 & 29 April 2007 |
| Bill Citation: | No. 6 of 2005 |
| Bill Date: | 8 March 2005 |
| Introduced By: | Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Dick Roche) |
| 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.
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High Court, and delivered its report in January 2004.[2] [3] The Act implemented the recommendations of this report and repealed the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998, which had defined constituencies since the 2002 general election.[4] The size of the Dáil remained at 166, arranged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]
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]
The schedule of constituencies in this Act was repealed by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009, which created a new schedule of constituencies first used at the 2011 general election for the 31st Dáil held on 25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]
Key to columns
| 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 | |
| Laois–Offaly | 1921 | 5 | 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 |
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 |