Drogheda Implementation Board submission to Electoral Commission on Louth/East Meath constituency boundaries

The Scoping Report into Community Safety and Wellbeing in Drogheda, commissioned by the Department of Justice in 2020, notes challenges in Drogheda and it’s East Meath hinterland emerging from the fact that this area spans the Louth/Meath County boundaries. The Drogheda Report Implementation Plan (‘the Plan’) was published in July 2021 on foot of the aforementioned report with a Government commitment to prioritise delivery of actions within the Plan. Drogheda Implementation Board is the core driver and implementer of change associated with the implementation of actions in this Plan. As per the Drogheda Report and Plan, the structures of the Board were established to enhance interagency cooperation and collaborative working between agencies and organisations delivering services in the Drogheda/East Meath area. Membership consists of over 70 representatives of 32 statutory and community organisations who deliver services in the Drogheda – Laytown/Bettystown area. 

Action 2.9 of the Plan specifically references the impact of the County Boundaries of Louth and Meath on service delivery for the area. Actions 8.1 and 8.2 of the Plan also relate to county boundaries and the need to have coordinated planning and services for the Drogheda/East Meath area. Challenges associated with the recent and projected population explosion in this area have been highlighted by many members over the past year and a half. Subgroups of the Board have individually and collectively identified the need not only to respond to current challenges but to future proof for the imminent increase in population and the impact that this will have on service provision and communities in the area. Members further highlight the challenge of county boundaries and the associated division of the town for administrative purposes in terms of delivery of service directly to those most in need and the need for strong, and clear geographic boundaries of political representation to underpin this.  

We request that the findings of the Scoping Report into Community Safety and Wellbeing in Drogheda and the subsequent Drogheda Report Implementation Plan be taken into consideration when reviewing the current constituency boundaries in the Louth/East Meath area. We further request that in considering Constituency Boundaries the expanding population in the area, including projections for significant growth with large land banks being opened for housing and the level of housing completion far outstripping the rest of the country, be taken into account.