Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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144. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or his Department has been informed by Mr. Donald Tusk or his offices regarding a consultation process on possible changes to European constituencies before the 2019 European elections take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1474/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Neither my Department nor I have received correspondence from Mr Tusk or his offices regarding possible changes to the European constituencies before the 2019 European Parliament elections. Changes to the European Parliament constituencies would require consideration by my colleague, the Minister for Housing Planning and Local Government, from the perspective of electoral administration and from my Department in the context of European Union affairs.

However, in light of population change in Member States and having regard to the proposed withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, there may be a need to adjust the distribution of seats in advance of the next elections to the European Parliament in 2019. This work is being undertaken on the initiative of the European Parliament.

In this context, the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs, in early September 2017, published a draft report on the composition of the European Parliament for 2019-2024.

It is anticipated that the European Parliament will vote in plenary on this matter later this year after which a proposal will be brought to Council.