Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998
The Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998 (No. 19) was a law of Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies in light of the 1996 census. It took effect on the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on 25 April 2002 and a general election for the 29th Dáil on the revised constituencies took place on 17 May 2002.
| Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Oireachtas | |
| |
| Citation | No. 19 of 1998 |
| Signed | 16 June 1998 |
| Commenced | 25 April 2002 |
| Repealed | 29 April 2007 |
| Bill citation | No. 30 of 1998 |
| Introduced by | Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Noel Dempsey) |
| Repeals | |
| Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995 | |
| Repealed by | |
| Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 | |
| Status: Repealed | |
In September 1997, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government established an independent Constituency Commission under terms of the Electoral Act 1997.[1] This was the first commission established on a statutory basis, with its terms of reference defined in the legislation. The commission was chaired by Richard Johnson, judge of the High Court, and delivered its report in March 1998.[2][3] The Act implemented the recommendations of the report and repealed the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995, which had defined constituencies since the 1997 general election.[4]
It was repealed by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, which created a new schedule of constituencies first used at the 2007 general election for the 30th Dáil held on 24 May 2007.[5]
Constituencies for the 29th Dáil
Explanation of 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 1997).
| Constituency[6] | 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 | 5 | none |
| 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 | 3 | New |
| Dublin North | 1981 | 4 | none |
| Dublin North-Central | 1948 | 4 | none |
| Dublin North-East | 1981 | 3 | − 1 |
| Dublin North-West | 1981 | 3 | − 1 |
| Dublin South | 1981 | 5 | none |
| Dublin South-Central | 1948 | 5 | + 1 |
| Dublin South-East | 1948 | 4 | none |
| Dublin South-West | 1981 | 4 | − 1 |
| Dublin West | 1981 | 3 | − 1 |
| 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 | 3 | none |
| Kildare South | 1997 | 3 | none |
| Laoighis–Offaly | 1921 | 5 | none |
| Limerick East | 1948 | 5 | none |
| Limerick West | 1948 | 3 | none |
| Longford–Roscommon | 1992 | 4 | none |
| Louth | 1923 | 4 | none |
| Mayo | 1997 | 5 | none |
| Meath | 1948 | 5 | none |
| Sligo–Leitrim | 1948 | 4 | none |
| Tipperary North | 1948 | 3 | none |
| Tipperary South | 1948 | 3 | none |
| Waterford | 1923 | 4 | none |
| Westmeath | 1992 | 3 | none |
| Wexford | 1921 | 5 | none |
| Wicklow | 1923 | 5 | none |
Summary of changes
This list summarises changes in representation. It does not address revisions to the boundaries of constituencies.
| Constituency | Created | Seats | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin Mid-West | 2002 | 3 | New |
| Dublin North-East | 1981 | 3 | − 1 |
| Dublin North-West | 1981 | 3 | − 1 |
| Dublin South-Central | 1948 | 5 | + 1 |
| Dublin South-West | 1981 | 4 | − 1 |
| Dublin West | 1981 | 3 | − 1 |
References
- Electoral Act 1997 Constituency Commission (Establishment) Order 1997 (S.I. No. 393 of 1997). 30 September 1997. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 23 November 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- "Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 1998: Second Stage – Seanad Éireann (21st Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 5 June 1998. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- "Constituency Commission: Report 1998" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. Constituency Commission. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998, s. 5: Repeal (No. 19 of 1998, s. 5). 16 June 1998. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 19 November 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, s. 5: Repeal (No. 16 of 2005, s. 5). 9 July 2005. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 19 November 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, Schedule (No. 19 of 1998, Schedule). 16 June 1998. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 23 November 2021, Irish Statute Book.