Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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426. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the next electoral boundary review will be established and concluded. [55640/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Electoral Reform Act 2022, which was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas earlier this summer, provides for, among other matters, the establishment of an Coimisiún Toghcháin. In addition, the Act provides for the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies to be undertaken by the new Coimisiún as part of its functions.

The Act also provides for the repeal of Part II of the Electoral Act 1997 which provided for the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituency boundaries by a Constituency Commission.

Under the provisions of the new Electoral Reform Act 2022, the Report of an Coimisiún Toghcháin on the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies will be completed and published within three months of the publication of final Census results. This mirrors current arrangements whereby a Constituency Commission must complete its work 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, final 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. Section 59(5) of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 provides that any person may make a submission to an Coimisiún in respect of constituency boundaries, once an Coimisiún has commenced the review.

Administrative arrangements for its establishment are currently being put in place by a transition team within my Department, and an Coimisiún's formal establishment is anticipated by the end of this year or early in 2023.