The Boundary Review Commission's redrawing of the European Parliament constituencies, with the loss of two seats, is to be completed within days.
Headed by Mr Justice Vivian Lavan, the Commission's final decision on the constituencies will not be published until early October, Government sources told The Irish Times last night.
The number of Irish MEPs will fall from 15 to 13, under the terms of the Treaty of Nice, which will mean the loss of one seat in Munster, and probably one from Leinster also.
County Clare is expected to be transferred into the Connacht/Ulster constituency, while Meath will be transferred from Leinster to the Dublin Euro constituency, which will stay as a four-seater.
The other members of the Boundary Commission are the Ombudsman, Ms Emily O'Reilly; the Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Mr Niall Callan; the Clerk of the Dáil, Mr Kieran Coughlan; and the Clerk of the Seanad, Ms Deirdre Lane.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has chosen two candidates to contest the June election, sitting MEP, Mr Proinsias De Rossa and Dublin barrister and Trinity law lecturer, Prof Ivana Bacik.
Ms Bacik received 49.65 per cent from the "one person one vote" selection convention.
Mr De Rossa received 33.8 per cent, while the third candidate, barrister, Mr Nap Keeling got 16.5 per cent.
Last night, Ms Bacik insisted that Labour could win two of the four European seats: "I am delighted with the result. This is a very good and balanced team. We will certainly have a joint strategy."
Former minister of state, Mr Eoin Ryan will run for Fianna Fáil, although it is not clear if the party will run a candidate north of the Liffey since Mr Séan Haughey announced he would not be a contestant.
The expected inclusion of Meath into the Dublin Euro constituency should be a major boost to Fine Gael since Mr John Bruton will be on the ticket.
