247:, creating a large number of three member constituencies rather than 4 or 5 member constituencies, it was hoped to capitalise on the relative weakness of the main opposition party Fianna Fáil in the capital. The hope was that both Fine Gael and Labour would win one seat each, leaving Fianna Fáil with a solitary seat in each constituency. This plan however relied on the Fianna Fáil vote remaining below the 40% mark in the Dublin area. In the event of it passing that figure, the danger was that Fianna Fáil could win two seats in each constituency even though other parties would have had a combined 60% of the vote. In practice, this is exactly what happened at the
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was put on a statutory basis to manage constituency boundary revisions with set terms of reference. An independent commission was constituted after each population census under the chairpersonship of a judge of the High Court or
Supreme Court to define constituencies in light of changing
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The responsibility for drawing political boundaries was in the hands of the political parties and this had often been used for partisan advantage. The
Minister for Local Government was directly responsible.
262:. The Meath constituency had seen a population boom in the 1970s, as a result of improved economic performance. Therefore, an extra seat was to be expected. Tully himself was resident in
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AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF DÁIL ÉIREANN AND FOR THE REVISION OF CONSTITUENCIES AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO THE ELECTION OF SUCH MEMBERS.
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at the time, and he tried to align the boundary of the Meath constituency so as to get extra votes from nearby expanding
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James Tully's 1974 scheme proved to be more ambitious than most. By radically redrawing the boundaries in the
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A minor aspect of the constituency redrawing concerned the boundary of the constituencies of
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1265:(Press release). Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. 9 February 2023.
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In 2023, the powers of the
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The failure of this partisan scheme led to the creation of an independent
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included in Meath, and thereby bring in a second Labour TD in Meath.
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Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974, Schedule: Constituencies (
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Electoral Reform Act 2022 (Establishment Day) Order 2023 (
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Constituencies in use at Dáil elections from 1977 to 1981
1165:
Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974, s. 8: Repeal (
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Minister for
Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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1394:Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1832
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226:, which had defined constituencies since the
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1399:Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832
1419:Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918
1409:Sligo and Cashel Disfranchisement Act 1870
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1373:Parliamentary constituency law in Ireland
1294:). Enacted on 26 March 1969. Act of the
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1500:Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998
1193:). Enacted on 1 July 1980. Act of the
251:and the Tullymander scheme backfired.
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1315:). Enacted on 7 May 1974. Act of the
1290:, Schedule: Constituencies (
1169:). Enacted on 7 May 1974. Act of the
1148:). Enacted on 7 May 1974. Act of the
211:– combining the name of the minister
7:
1269:from the original on 9 February 2023
1232:). Signed on 8 February 2023 by
1126:Elections in the Republic of Ireland
1584:Acts of the Oireachtas of the 1970s
286:. The 1974 Act was repealed by the
192:passed in Ireland by the governing
1212:"Constituency Commission - Report"
14:
317:Summary table of boundary changes
1556:†Found repugnant to Constitution
1414:Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
1144:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974 (
1525:Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023
1510:Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009
1505:Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005
1495:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995
1490:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1990
1485:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1983
1480:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980
1475:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974
1470:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969
1465:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961
1458:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1959
1452:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947
1424:Government of Ireland Act 1920
1288:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969
1240:. Statutory Instrument of the
1187:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980
288:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980
224:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969
178:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974
159:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980
147:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969
24:Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974
1:
1337:Summary of boundary revisions
241:Minister for Local Government
120:Minister for Local Government
190:parliamentary constituencies
88:7 May 1974 & 25 May 1977
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1574:Electoral Acts (Ireland)
1323: on 8 November 2021.
1302: on 8 November 2021.
1201: on 8 November 2021.
1177: on 8 November 2021.
1156: on 8 November 2021.
1541:Constituency Commission
1313:No. 7 of 1974, Schedule
1292:No. 3 of 1969, Schedule
1216:Constituency Commission
303:Constituency Commission
280:Constituency Commission
298:held on 11 June 1981.
1319:. Retrieved from
1298:. Retrieved from
1263:Government of Ireland
1244:. Retrieved from
1242:Government of Ireland
1197:. Retrieved from
1173:. Retrieved from
1152:. Retrieved from
735:Dublin Rathmines West
249:1977 general election
228:1969 general election
188:. It was a review of
180:(No. 7) was a law in
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1191:No. 17 of 1980, s. 8
717:Dublin South-Central
709:Dublin South-Central
681:Dublin North-Central
673:Dublin North-Central
485:Cork City South-East
467:Cork City North-West
311:Electoral Commission
1230:S.I. No. 31 of 2023
1167:No. 7 of 1974, s. 8
613:Dublin County South
605:Dublin County South
567:Dublin County North
559:Dublin County North
245:Greater Dublin Area
186:Dáil constituencies
101:Legislative history
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1273:10 February
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411:Galway East
284:Brian Walsh
217:gerrymander
213:James Tully
209:Tullymander
205:Fianna Fáil
153:Repealed by
124:James Tully
96:21 May 1981
1568:Categories
1317:Oireachtas
1296:Oireachtas
1195:Oireachtas
1171:Oireachtas
1150:Oireachtas
1132:References
234:Background
131:Introduced
80:7 May 1974
50:Long title
39:Oireachtas
1073:Waterford
1065:Waterford
965:Mayo West
957:Mayo West
947:Mayo East
939:Mayo East
475:Cork City
296:22nd Dáil
274:Aftermath
194:Fine Gael
85:Commenced
1267:Archived
1120:See also
457:Cork Mid
449:Cork Mid
375:Monaghan
294:for the
268:Drogheda
169:Repealed
93:Repealed
67:Citation
1434:Ireland
1109:Wicklow
1101:Wicklow
1091:Wexford
1083:Wexford
839:Kildare
831:Kildare
539:Donegal
264:Laytown
182:Ireland
166:Status:
140:Repeals
1534:Bodies
77:Signed
983:Meath
975:Meath
929:Louth
921:Louth
393:Clare
385:Clare
357:Cavan
260:Louth
256:Meath
1275:2023
258:and
176:The
1570::
1261:.
1236:,
1214:.
1113:3
1105:3
1095:4
1087:4
1077:4
1069:3
1059:3
1051:4
1041:3
1033:3
1023:4
1015:3
1005:3
997:3
987:3
979:3
969:3
961:3
951:3
943:3
933:4
925:3
915:4
907:4
897:3
889:3
879:4
871:4
861:5
853:5
843:3
835:3
825:3
817:3
807:3
799:3
789:4
781:4
771:3
763:3
753:3
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731:4
721:3
713:4
703:3
695:4
685:3
677:4
667:3
653:3
645:4
635:3
627:4
617:3
609:3
599:3
585:3
571:3
563:4
553:3
543:5
535:3
525:3
517:3
507:4
499:4
489:3
479:5
471:3
461:5
453:4
443:4
435:3
425:3
415:4
407:3
397:3
389:3
379:3
369:5
361:3
351:5
343:5
313:.
230:.
1461:†
1365:e
1358:t
1351:v
1277:.
1248:.
1218:.
196:–
126:)
122:(
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