A local electoral area (LEA; Irish: toghlimistéar áitiúil)[1] is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average population of 28,700 and average area of 423.3 square kilometres (163.4 sq mi). The boundaries of LEAs are determined by order of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, usually based on lower-level units called electoral divisions (EDs), with a total of 3,440 EDs in the state.

As well as their use for electoral purposes, LEAs are local administrative units in Eurostat NUTS classification.[2] They are used in local numbers of cases of COVID-19.[3]

Municipal districts

A municipal district (Irish: ceantar bardasach)[4] is a division of a local authority which can exercise certain powers of the local authority. They came into being on 1 June 2014, ten days after the local elections, under the provisions of the Local Government Reform Act 2014.[5][6] Of the 31 local authorities, 25 are subdivided into municipal districts, which comprise one or more LEA. The exceptions are the three city councils (Cork City, Dublin City and Galway City) and the three county councils in Dublin (Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin). A district associated with a city or borough is termed a metropolitan district (ceantar cathrach) or borough district (ceantar buirge) respectively.[7]

In 2019, John Paul Phelan, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, commented in the Dáil:[8]

Municipal districts have an extensive list of functions currently, but the situation is haphazard ... some local authorities are better at performing some functions than others. I have found that some local authorities have a strong municipal district structure, with the districts being where most of the nitty-gritty work of local authorities is done, be it roads, footpaths or lights. Some do not have that structure, though, with decisions rehashed or debated again at the councils' plenary sessions.

Boundary changes

Boundaries for local electoral areas and municipal district are determined by statutory instrument of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.[9] The Minister must first request the Electoral Commission to prepare a report. The minister must have regard to this report in making any changes.[10]

Prior to the establishment of the Electoral Commission in 2023, recommendations on local electoral boundary changes were made by an independent boundary committee established for that purpose.[11] A boundary committee has been required since 1994 for electoral areas.[12][13] The 2012–13 Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee considered both administrative areas (municipal districts, though not counties/cities) and electoral areas.[13] In 2015, separate committees were set up to consider adjustments to county and municipal boundaries passing through each of four urban areas: Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda, and Waterford.[14] A Boundary Committee established in 2017 and which reported in June 2018 recommended alterations to municipal districts and local electoral areas which were implemented in December 2018.

Current LEAs

Below are the districts and local electoral areas as defined by the most recent SI in each case and which were used at the 2019 local elections. The minister ultimately did not alter the areas for the 2024 local elections.[15] Unless otherwise specified, districts are titled "Municipal District of Carlow", etc.

CouncilSeatsDistrictLocal electoral area (LEA)Seats
Carlow County Council[16]18Carlow7
Muinebeag5
Tullow6
Cavan County Council[17]18Bailieborough—Cootehill6
Ballyjamesduff6
Cavan–Belturbet6
Clare County Council[18]28Ennis7
Killaloe5
Shannon7
West ClareEnnistymon4
Kilrush5
Cork City Council[19]31Cork City North-East6
Cork City North-West6
Cork City South-Central6
Cork City South-East6
Cork City South-West7
Cork County Council[20]55Bandon—Kinsale6
Carrigaline6
Cobh6
East CorkMidleton7
Fermoy6
Kanturk—MallowKanturk4
Mallow5
Macroom6
West CorkBantry—West Cork4
Skibbereen—West Cork5
Donegal County Council[21]37Donegal6
Glenties6
InishowenBuncrana5
Carndonagh4
Letterkenny—MilfordLetterkenny7
Milford3
Lifford—Stranorlar6
Dublin City Council[22]63Artane—Whitehall6
Ballyfermot—Drimnagh5
Ballymun—Finglas6
Cabra—Glasnevin7
Clontarf6
Donaghmede5
Kimmage—Rathmines6
North Inner City7
Pembroke5
South East Inner City5
South West Inner City5
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council[23]40Blackrock6
Dundrum7
Dún Laoghaire7
Glencullen—Sandyford7
Killiney—Shankill6
Stillorgan6
Fingal County Council[24]40Balbriggan5
Blanchardstown—Mulhuddart5
Castleknock6
Howth—Malahide7
Ongar5
Rush—Lusk5
Swords7
Galway City Council[25]18Galway City West6
Galway City Central6
Galway City East6
Galway County Council[26]39AthenryAthenry—Oranmore7
Ballinasloe6
ConamaraConamara North4
Conamara South5
LoughreaGort—Kinvara5
Loughrea5
Tuam7
Kerry County Council[27]33An Daingean—CastleislandAn Daingean3
Castleisland4
Kenmare6
Killarney7
Listowel6
Tralee7
Kildare County Council[28]40Athy5
Celbridge—LeixlipCelbridge4
Leixlip3
Clane—MaynoothClane5
Maynooth5
Kildare—NewbridgeKildare5
Newbridge6
Naas7
Kilkenny County Council[29]24Callan—Thomastown6
Castlecomer6
Kilkenny CityKilkenny7
Piltown5
Laois County Council[30]19Borris-in-Ossory—Mountmellick6
Graiguecullen—Portarlington6
Portlaoise7
Leitrim County Council[31]18Ballinamore6
Carrick-on-Shannon6
Manorhamilton6
Limerick City and County Council[32]40Metropolitan District of Limerick CityLimerick City East7
Limerick City North7
Limerick City West7
Adare—Rathkeale6
Cappamore—Kilmallock7
Newcastle West6
Longford County Council[33]18Ballymahon6
Granard5
Longford7
Louth County Council[34][35]29Ardee6
Borough District of DroghedaDrogheda Rural4
Drogheda Urban6
DundalkDundalk—Carlingford6
Dundalk South7
Mayo County Council[36]30Ballina6
Castlebar7
ClaremorrisClaremorris6
Swinford4
Westport—BelmulletWestport4
Belmullet3
Meath County Council[37][38]40Ashbourne6
Kells7
Laytown—Bettystown7
Navan7
Ratoath7
Trim6
Monaghan County Council[39]18Ballybay—Clones5
Carrickmacross—Castleblayney6
Monaghan7
Offaly County Council[40]19Birr6
Edenderry6
Tullamore7
Roscommon County Council[41]18Athlone6
Boyle6
Roscommon6
Sligo County Council[42]18Borough District of SligoSligo—Strandhill6
Ballymote—Tobercurry7
Sligo—Drumcliff5
South Dublin County Council[43]40Clondalkin7
Firhouse—Bohernabreena5
Lucan5
Palmerstown—Fonthill5
Rathfarnham—Templeogue7
Tallaght Central6
Tallaght South5
Tipperary County Council[44]40Borough District of ClonmelClonmel6
Cahir—CashelCahir4
Cashel—Tipperary7
Carrick-on-Suir5
NenaghNenagh5
Newport4
ThurlesThurles5
Roscrea—Templemore4
Waterford City and County Council[45]32Metropolitan District of Waterford CityTramore—Waterford City West6
Waterford City East6
Waterford City South6
ComeraghPortlaw—Kilmacthomas5
Dungarvan—LismoreDungarvan6
Lismore3
Westmeath County Council[46]20Athlone—MoateAthlone5
Moate4
Mullingar—KinnegadMullingar6
Kinnegad5
Wexford County Council[47]34Enniscorthy6
Gorey—KilmuckridgeGorey6
Kilmuckridge4
New Ross6
Rosslare5
Borough District of WexfordWexford7
Wicklow County Council[48][49]32Arklow6
Baltinglass6
BrayBray East4
Bray West4
Greystones6
Wicklow6

See also

References

  1. ^ "Fógraíonn an tAire Sláinte Stephen Donnelly TD eolas áitiúil nua atá ag dul beo ar Mhol Sonraí COVID-19". www.gov.ie. 19 September 2020. Archived 2021-01-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  2. ^ "Correspondence between the NUTS levels and the national administrative units". Eurostat. 11 June 2020. Archived 14 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Minister Donnelly announces new local information going live on the COVID-19 Data Hub". www.gov.ie. 19 September 2020. Archived 2021-02-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  4. ^ Wicklow Municipal District (19 October 2015). "Agenda". Wicklow County Council. Archived 2019-05-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  5. ^ "Local Government Reform". Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Archived 19 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  6. ^ No. 215. 22 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Revised Acts". revisedacts.lawreform.ie. Archived 2021-08-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  8. ^ Phelan, John Paul (23 January 2019). "Local Government Bill 2018: From the Seanad" (in en-ie). Dáil Éireann (32nd Dáil) debates. Oireachtas. Archived 12 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  9. ^ "19". No. 1. 27 January 2014.
  10. ^ "60". "Electoral Reform Act 2022". No. 30. 25 July 2022.
  11. ^ Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 January 2021). "General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill 2020". Government of Ireland. pp. 57–59. Archived 9 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 January 2021.; O'Halloran, Marie (30 December 2020). "Election regulator on horizon as Government approves proposals". The Irish Times. Archived 20 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  12. ^ "24". No. 8. 29 April 1994. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  13. ^ Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee (30 May 2013). Report 2013 (PDF). Dublin: Stationery Office. pp. 13–14. ISBN 978-1-4064-2767-7. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Minister Alan Kelly Appoints Groups to Review Local Government Boundaries in Drogheda/Athlone/Waterford/Carlow". News. Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government. 19 June 2015. Archived 5 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
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