Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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456. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider revising the electoral boundaries and take steps to reunite south Donegal with Donegal and west Cavan with Cavan-Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8505/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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Section 5 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides for the establishment of a Constituency Commission upon the publication by the Central Statistics Office of preliminary census results. Census 2016 was taken on 24 April 2016 and the Central Statistics Office expects to publish the preliminary results in July of this year. The function of the Constituency Commission is to make a report on the constituencies for the election of members of the Dáil and the members of the European Parliament having regard to Article 16 of the Constitution and to the terms of reference set out in section 6(2) of the Electoral Act 1997.

In accordance with section 9 of the Electoral Act 1997 the Constituency Commission must present its report to the Chairperson of the Dáil no later than 3 months after the publication of final census results. These results are expected in March or April 2017.

Section 10 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides for the Constituency Commission to invite and consider submissions in relation to matters which should be considered in preparing its report.