Laois/Offaly Moves West To New Euro Constituency

·       All kinds of everything as new constituency contains 15 counties

·       Clare moves back to Munster

·       LAOIS, OFFALY now part of the Midlands-North-West constituency, stretching from coast to coast.

 

Jim Higgins MEP for Co. Laois and Co. Offaly has today wholeheartedly welcomed the inclusion of Counties Louth, Meath, Kildare, Offaly and Laois, into his constituency. Speaking in Brussels, MEP Higgins said “There’s no doubt about it, it is going to be a major task trying to represent the views of 15 counties in the European Parliament, but it’s a something I’m up for. I was first elected in 2004, and re-elected in 2009 to represent the 11 counties of the North West. I promise to be the voice of the of the people of the Midlands, North and West going forward.”

 

Ireland is to lose one MEP at the next election in May, to facilitate the accession of Croatia into the EU, which happened on the 1st of July last. The Constituency Boundary Commission in Ireland today delivered its report, which recommends 3 constituencies, a 4 seater covering 15 counties in the North West, a 3 seater covering Dublin, and a 3 seater covering counties. The next stage in the process is for the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to sign a statutory order to bring effect to the Constituency Commission’s findings. This is likely to be fast-tracked, and will almost certainly respect the findings of the Constituency Commission.

 

Asked if the new Midlands-North-West Constituency was simply too big, MEP Higgins said “Obviously it’s a challenge. We are talking about representing a massive geographic area, but I am confident I can rise to the challenge, get out and about and represent effectively the views of the people of the Midlands-North and West in the European Parliament. Ultimately it’s for you, the people of Midlands-North and West to decide the elections.”

 

 

• Ireland joined the EU in 1973
• The first European Parliament election was in 1979.
• Ireland had 15 seats from 1979 to 2004.
• Ireland lost 2 seats in 2004, and had 13.
• In 2009 this was reduced to 12
• In 2014 this will be reduced to 11.
• For the first time since elections began, there will be three European Parliament in Ireland instead of 4.

 

The new constituencies are as follows:

 

DUBLIN: 3 MEPS

 

SOUTH: 4 MEPS

Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow, Waterford.

 

MIDLANDS-NORTH-WEST: 4 MEPS

Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Meath, Louth, Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath.