Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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531. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the local election boundary commission will be formed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40210/17]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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532. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to alter the terms of reference for the new local election boundary commission with regard to the number of councillors to be elected per ward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40211/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 531 and 532 together.

The most recent review of local electoral areas was carried out from November 2012 to May 2013 by a Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee established under the Local Government Act 1991.

The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a number of commitments in relation to local government reform to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy into the future.  In particular, the Programme includes a commitment to consider reducing the size of local electoral areas.

The preparatory work in support of a review of local electoral area boundaries is being advanced in my Department.  It is intended that the review will be initiated shortly and will be completed in good time before the 2019 local elections.