Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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230. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government in the context of the recent publication of the Central Statistics Office preliminary census data, the date on which he will move to evaluate and amend the electoral boundaries for local, national and European elections. [35728/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future - includes a number of commitments on electoral reform including the establishment of an independent, statutory Electoral Commission.  These commitments are currently being prioritised by way of the Electoral Reform Bill 2022.

The Electoral Reform Bill 2022, which is currently progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas, provides for, among other matters, the establishment of an Electoral Commission.  In addition, the Bill provides for the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies to be undertaken by the new Electoral Commission following its establishment.

Under the provisions of the Bill, the Report of the Electoral Commission on the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies will be published within three months of the publication of final Census results.  While the publication of final Census results is a matter for the Central Statistics Office, results are anticipated for publication in Spring 2023.

This would indicate that a final report from the Electoral Commission on Dáil and European Parliament constituencies would be expected in Summer 2023.  It will be a matter for the Oireachtas to legislate for revised constituency boundaries following its consideration of the final report of the Commission.

Unlike the position for Dáil and European Parliament constituencies, there is no constitutional or legislative requirement for the revision of local electoral areas.

Section 23 of the Local Government Act 2001 empowers the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to divide a local authority area into local electoral areas and to amend those areas. However, the Electoral Reform Bill requires that the Minister, in advance of deciding to make an order under section 23 of the Act, requests the Electoral Commission to make a report having regard to such matters as may be specified by the Minister.

I have no plans to make an order under section 23 of the Local Government Act 2001 amending local electoral areas in advance of the next local elections.

It is intended that the Electoral Commission will be established shortly following enactment of the Electoral Reform Bill 2022.  Committee Stage of the Bill commenced in Seanad Éireann on 30 June 2022 and is scheduled to resume on 7 July 2022 together with Report and Final Stages of the Bill.  In tandem with the Bill's progression through the Oireachtas, a transitional team has been put in place in my Department to progress the administrative elements of the Commission's establishment.