Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I wish to pursue the issue further. I agree with Deputy Murphy that the coincidence of election time with the publication of the census figures is giving rise to the mismatch. What will be the composition of the constituencies commission which I believe is fixed in the electoral legislation? What will be the commission's terms of reference? Given the increase in population in the State, will the Minister give the commission any terms of reference in respect of the number of Members of the House?

The sequence is the publication of the census figures on 26 April followed by the Minister triggering the mechanism to appoint a constituencies commission which then has six months to report and by which time the general election will be over. Is it his advice that this arrangement is sufficiently robust to withstand any possible challenge?

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