There are 43 multi-member electoral districts, known as Dáil constituencies, to elect 174 TDs to Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, Ireland's parliament, on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV), to a maximum term of five years. The configuration of constituencies was amended by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023, which were in operation for the 2024 general election.
Electoral law Article 16.2 of the Constitution of Ireland outlines the requirements for constituencies. The total number of TDs is to be no more than one TD representing twenty thousand and no less than one TD representing thirty thousand of the population, and the ratio should be the same in each constituency, as far as practicable, avoiding malapportionment. Under the Constitution, constituencies are to be revised at least once every twelve years in accordance with the census reports, which are compiled by the Central Statistics Office every five years.
Under the Electoral Reform Act 2022, the Electoral Commission conducted a review of all constituencies on the publication, by the Central Statistics Office, of the preliminary result of the census. The commission is independent and is responsible for the redrawing of constituency boundaries. Any alterations to constituencies do not take effect during the life of the Dáil sitting when a revision is made. Prior to the establishment of the Commission in 2023, constituency reviews were carried out by a Constituency Commission under the Electoral Act 1997, as amended.
The constitution specifies that the minimum number of TDs returned for each constituency is three, but does not define the maximum number; however, electoral law specifies a maximum number of five TDs. The electoral system for general elections is proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (PR-STV). PR-STV is also used at European Parliament elections and local elections. Although they are conducted under the same rules, in the case of by-elections (where this is only one vacancy) and presidential elections, this becomes alternative vote.
Current constituencies On its establishment in February 2023, the Electoral Commission sought submissions for a review of Dáil constituencies and European Parliament constituencies following the publication of the 2022 census preliminary results. These changes were provided by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023, which took effect on the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil on 8 November 2024 and were in use at the 2024 general election on 29 November 2024. The 34th Dáil has 174 TDs, an increase from the membership of 160 TDs in the 33rd Dáil. The number of constituencies increased from 39 to 43.
ConstituencySeatsCarlow–Kilkenny5Cavan–Monaghan5Clare4Cork East4Cork North-Central5Cork North-West3Cork South-Central5Cork South-West3Donegal5Dublin Bay North5Dublin Bay South4Dublin Central4Dublin Fingal East3Dublin Fingal West3Dublin Mid-West5Dublin North-West3Dublin Rathdown4Dublin South-Central4Dublin South-West5Dublin West5Dún Laoghaire4Galway East4Galway West5Kerry5Kildare North5Kildare South4Laois3Limerick City4Limerick County3Longford–Westmeath5Louth5Mayo5Meath East4Meath West3Offaly3Roscommon–Galway3Sligo–Leitrim4Tipperary North3Tipperary South3Waterford4Wexford4Wicklow4Wicklow–Wexford3
See also Historic Dáil constituencies
References
External links Constituencies – Houses of the Oireachtas (for the 33rd Dáil) New constituencies – Houses of the Oireachtas Constituency Dashboards – Houses of the Oireachtas What constituency am I in? – Electoral Commission Dáil Constituency Maps – Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Boundary Revisions – ElectionsIreland.org