28 June 2024 – An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission has today published its 2023 Annual Report. The report highlights the work of An Coimisiún from its establishment on 9 February 2023 to 31 December 2023. This first annual report was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas this morning.

The Annual Report 2023 includes:

• an overview of the work of An Coimisiún, specifically within the Electoral Operations and Education unit and the Electoral Integrity and Research unit;
• the publication of the Constituency Review Reports for the Dáil and European Parliament;
• the publication of the draft Research Programme, including plans for the first National Elections and Democracy Study, a longitudinal research programme of electoral events in Ireland;
• development of a programme for oversight of the electoral register; and
• registration of four new political parties to contest Dáil, European Parliament and local elections.

The Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Mr Art O’Leary stated:

“Today An Coimisiún laid its Annual Report for its establishment year before the Houses of the Oireachtas. In a busy year of exciting new firsts, we set about delivering a number of key electoral functions, such as the publication of the Review of Constituencies for Dáil Eireann and the European Parliament, while building an innovative organisation which can create greater public understanding, participation and trust in democracy and elections in this country.”  

– ENDS-

For further information, please contact:

Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Engagement Manager,

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission,

brian.dawson@electoralcommission.ie / 086 0749344

Editor’s Note:

The full text of the Annual Report 2023 is available in English and Irish at the following links:

• An Coimisiún Toghcháin Annual Report 2023
• An Coimisiún Toghcháin Tuarascáil Bhliantúil 2023

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:

• responsibility for the registration of political parties;
• 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;
• the regulation of online paid-for political advertising, ensuring transparency in respect of online political advertisements during the period of an election or referendum campaign; (Legislation not yet commenced); and
• 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. (Legislation not yet commenced).

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

• making reports for the Minister in relation to local electoral boundaries;
• preparing research programmes and conducting research on electoral policy and procedure, and providing advice, as required, to the Minister and Government;
• the preparation of ex-post reports on the administration of electoral events;
• 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
• 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.

It is anticipated that the initial set of functions assigned to An Coimisiún will be expanded upon as it builds capacity and expertise.