Politics

Census 2016: We need another TD, says the CSO

Census figures show State’s population exceeds constitutional limit for number of TDs per 30,000 people

CSO: One more TD is necessary to bring the total representation in the Dáil into line.
CSO: One more TD is necessary to bring the total representation in the Dáil into line.
Elaine Edwards
Thu Jul 14 2016 - 15:34

The population of the State has for the first time in a census exceeded the limit for the minimum number of TDs per 30,000 persons.

Publishing preliminary figures for the 2016 census on Thursday, the CSO said that based on the preliminary population count of 4,757,976 and the current total of 158 TDs, the average number of persons per TD now sits at 30,114 - above the constitutional limit of 30,000.

It said one more TD was now clearly necessary to bring the total representation in the Dáil into line.

Under Article 16 of the Constitution, the number of members of Dáil Éireann “shall not be fixed at less than one member for each thirty thousand of the population, or at more than one member for each twenty thousand of the population”.

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The CSO said that following the 2012 review, five constituencies had more than the prescribed number of persons per TD.

According to the preliminary results for this year’s census, there are 25 constituencies exceeding that limit.

Those with the largest number are Dublin North-West with a population of 32,299, Dublin Central with 32,016 and Dublin Rathdown with 31,375.

At the other end of the scale Limerick County has the smallest number with just 27,916 per TD, the CSO said.

The fastest-growing constituency was Dublin Fingal, which increased by 10,596 people or 7.5 per cent over the five years.

Four constituencies had a fall in their population: Donegal, Mayo, Sligo-Leitrim and Limerick County.

Of the 3,441 electoral divisions counted in the census, 61 showed population increases over 20 per cent; a further 255 showed increases between 10 and 20 per cent.

Population falls were recorded in over 40 per cent of electoral divisions (1,389 areas) with 147 falling over 10 per cent.

Senior statistician Deirdre Cullen said the CSO would give the preliminary census results o the Electoral Commission on Friday.

She said it normally took the commission about a year to deliberate on any changes that might be required to boundaries.

“Clearly there will have to be at least one more TD now to bring us back under 30,000,” Ms Cullen said.

She said definitive results for the census should be available by next March and should be very close to preliminary results.

“To have individual constituencies over the limit is not new, but to have the whole state over the 30,000 limit I think is a new situation.”