29 September 2023 – An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission invites submissions from members of the public to share their views on matters that should be considered when reporting on European Parliament constituencies. 

The call for members of the public to share their views on the make-up of Ireland’s MEP Constituencies, comes as a result of the European Council Decision of 22 September 2023 establishing the composition of the European Parliament, which was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 27 September 2023.

Ireland currently has 13 MEPs representing three constituencies, Dublin, South and Midlands-North-West. This will increase to 14. This increase requires a review of constituencies in line with considerations set out under the Electoral Reform Act 2022.

A recent report from the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs states that the current allocation of seats in the European Parliament, when compared with the latest population figures, breaches EU proportionality rules. The European Parliament report recommends that an additional seat in the Parliament be allocated to Ireland.

Submissions to the public consultation can be made until Sunday 29 October 2023. 

An Coimisiún must lay a report with its recommendations before the Oireachtas by 27 November 2023

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For further information, please contact:

Annmarie Power, Communications Specialist, 

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission

annmarie.power@electoralcommission.ie / 086 167 3060

Editor’s Note:

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission

An Coimisiún Toghcháin is a statutory, independent body, established on 9 February 2023 with responsibility for a broad range of electoral functions set out in the Electoral Reform Act 2022. An Coimisiún is central to Ireland’s electoral system, carrying out a range of existing electoral functions, including:

• the conducting of reviews and making reports in relation to the constituencies for the election of members to the Dáil and the election of members to the European Parliament.
• responsibility for the registration of political parties, and for the preparation and maintenance of the Register of Political Parties.
• the decision-making, oversight, secretariat and supporting services associated with explaining the subject matter of referendum proposals, the promotion of public awareness of referendums and encouragement of the electorate to vote at referendum polls; and
• making reports for the Minister in relation to local electoral boundaries. 

An Coimisiún is also tasked with several new electoral roles, including:

• preparing research programmes and conducting research on electoral policy and procedure, and providing advice, as required, to the Minister and Government.
• promoting public awareness of, and working to increase public participation in the State’s electoral and democratic processes through education and information programmes;
• overseeing the modernised Electoral Register, making recommendations and setting standards in relation to its maintenance and updating;
• responsibility of the regulation of online paid-for political advertising, ensuring transparency in respect of online political advertisements which have been purchased to run during the period of an election or referendum campaign; 
• responsibility for the investigation and monitoring of online disinformation, online misinformation and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour online during election campaign periods, as well as functions to prevent manipulative or inauthentic behaviours online. 
• the preparation of ex-post reports on the administration of electoral events.
• It is anticipated that the initial set of functions assigned to An Coimisiún will be expanded upon as it builds capacity and expertise.