A local electoral area (LEA; ) is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average population of 28,700 and average area of . The boundaries of LEAs are determined by order of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, usually based on lower-level units called electoral divisions (EDs), with a total of 3,440 EDs in the state.
As well as their use for electoral purposes, LEAs are local administrative units in Eurostat NUTS classification. They are used in local numbers of cases of COVID-19.
Municipal districts A municipal district () is a division of a local authority which can exercise certain powers of the local authority. They came into being on 1 June 2014, ten days after the local elections, under the provisions of the Local Government Reform Act 2014. Of the 31 local authorities, 25 are subdivided into municipal districts, which comprise one or more LEA. The exceptions are the three city councils (Cork City, Dublin City and Galway City) and the three county councils in Dublin (Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin). A district associated with a city or borough is termed a metropolitan district (ceantar cathrach) or borough district (ceantar buirge) respectively.
In 2019, John Paul Phelan, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, commented in the Dáil:
Boundary changes
Boundaries for local electoral areas and municipal district are determined by statutory instrument of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister must first request the Electoral Commission to prepare a report. The minister must have regard to this report in making any changes.
Prior to the establishment of the Electoral Commission in 2023, recommendations on local electoral boundary changes were made by an independent boundary committee established for that purpose.; A boundary committee has been required since 1994 for electoral areas. The 2012–13 Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee considered both administrative areas (municipal districts, though not counties/cities) and electoral areas. In 2015, separate committees were set up to consider adjustments to county and municipal boundaries passing through each of four urban areas: Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda, and Waterford. A Boundary Committee established in 2017 and which reported in June 2018 recommended alterations to municipal districts and local electoral areas which were implemented in December 2018.
Current LEAs Below are the districts and local electoral areas as defined by the most recent SI in each case and which were used at the 2019 local elections. The minister ultimately did not alter the areas for the 2024 local elections. Unless otherwise specified, districts are titled "Municipal District of Carlow", etc. Council Seats District Local electoral area (LEA) SeatsCarlow County Council 18Carlow7Muinebeag5Tullow6Cavan County Council18Bailieborough—Cootehill6Ballyjamesduff6Cavan–Belturbet 6Clare County Council 28Ennis7Killaloe5Shannon7West ClareEnnistymon4Kilrush5Cork City Council31Cork City North-East6Cork City North-West6Cork City South-Central6Cork City South-East6Cork City South-West7Cork County Council55Bandon—Kinsale 6Carrigaline 6Cobh6East CorkMidleton7Fermoy6Kanturk—MallowKanturk4Mallow5Macroom6West CorkBantry—West Cork4Skibbereen—West Cork5Donegal County Council37Donegal6Glenties6 InishowenBuncrana5Carndonagh4Letterkenny—MilfordLetterkenny7Milford3Lifford—Stranorlar6Dublin City Council63Artane—Whitehall6Ballyfermot—Drimnagh5Ballymun—Finglas6Cabra—Glasnevin7Clontarf6Donaghmede5Kimmage—Rathmines6North Inner City7Pembroke5South East Inner City5South West Inner City5Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council40Blackrock 6Dundrum7Dún Laoghaire7Glencullen—Sandyford7Killiney—Shankill6Stillorgan6Fingal County Council40 Balbriggan 5 Blanchardstown—Mulhuddart 5 Castleknock 6 Howth—Malahide 7 Ongar 5Rush—Lusk 5 Swords 7Galway City Council18Galway City West6Galway City Central6Galway City East6 Galway County Council 39AthenryAthenry—Oranmore 7Ballinasloe6ConamaraConamara North4Conamara South5LoughreaGort—Kinvara5Loughrea5Tuam7 Kerry County Council33An Daingean—CastleislandAn Daingean3Castleisland4Kenmare6Killarney7Listowel6Tralee7Kildare County Council40Athy5Celbridge—LeixlipCelbridge4Leixlip3Clane—MaynoothClane5Maynooth5Kildare—NewbridgeKildare5Newbridge6Naas7Kilkenny County Council24Callan—Thomastown6Castlecomer6Kilkenny CityKilkenny7Piltown5Laois County Council19Borris-in-Ossory—Mountmellick 6Graiguecullen—Portarlington 6Portlaoise 7Leitrim County Council18Ballinamore 6Carrick-on-Shannon 6Manorhamilton 6Limerick City and County Council40Metropolitan District of Limerick City Limerick City East 7Limerick City North7Limerick City West7Adare—Rathkeale6Cappamore—Kilmallock7Newcastle West6Longford County Council18Ballymahon6Granard5Longford7Louth County Council29Ardee6Borough District of DroghedaDrogheda Rural4Drogheda Urban6DundalkDundalk—Carlingford6Dundalk South7Mayo County Council30Ballina6Castlebar7ClaremorrisClaremorris6Swinford4Westport—BelmulletWestport4Belmullet3Meath County Council40Ashbourne6Kells7Laytown—Bettystown7Navan 7Ratoath7Trim6Monaghan County Council18Ballybay—Clones5Carrickmacross—Castleblayney6Monaghan7Offaly County Council19Birr6Edenderry6Tullamore7Roscommon County Council18Athlone 6Boyle6Roscommon6Sligo County Council18Borough District of Sligo Sligo—Strandhill 6Ballymote—Tobercurry7Sligo—Drumcliff5South Dublin County Council40Clondalkin7Firhouse—Bohernabreena5Lucan5Palmerstown—Fonthill5Rathfarnham—Templeogue7Tallaght Central6Tallaght South5Tipperary County Council40Borough District of ClonmelClonmel6Cahir—CashelCahir4Cashel—Tipperary7Carrick-on-Suir5NenaghNenagh5Newport4ThurlesThurles5Roscrea—Templemore4Waterford City and County Council32Metropolitan District of Waterford CityTramore—Waterford City West6Waterford City East6Waterford City South6ComeraghPortlaw—Kilmacthomas5Dungarvan—LismoreDungarvan6Lismore3Westmeath County Council20Athlone—MoateAthlone5Moate4Mullingar—KinnegadMullingar6Kinnegad5Wexford County Council34Enniscorthy6Gorey—KilmuckridgeGorey6Kilmuckridge4New Ross6Rosslare5Borough District of WexfordWexford7Wicklow County Council32Arklow6Baltinglass6BrayBray East4Bray West4Greystones6Wicklow6
See also Counties of Ireland Dáil constituencies
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