A Chara 

I live in Terenure an area that has been repeatedly split between south city constituencies for much of the past 40 years.

Given the rapid population growth underway, the Electoral Commission should give consideration to the restoration of three 3 seat Dail constituencies south of the Liffey in the Dublin City area. I propose the Commission examine a three seat arrangement as follows:

·         Dublin-Pembroke (3 Seats)

·         Dublin- Terenure (3 Seats)

·         Dublin-Ballyfermot (3 Seats)

Given the intensification of Dublin City’s land use, through the rejuvenation of the city centre and the redevelopment of industrial brownfield sites within the M50 as high density residential schemes and the widely stated objectives of creating a “15 minute city”, the existing suburban arrangements of the two constituencies south of the Liffey is no longer fit for purpose.

In the 2019 local government elections, the constituencies for city councillors were arranged in a fashion similar to how our local Dail constituencies existed until the end of the 1970s with the area south of the Grand Canal divided into three:

·         Ballyfermot-Drimnagh LEA

·         Kimmage-Rathmines LEA

·         Pembroke LEA

Full map of 2019 Dublin City Council boundaries here.

With a population of over one quarter of a million in the existing Dublin South Central and Dublin Bay South constituencies, this area should be now broken into three constituencies as follows:

Dublin-Pembroke (3 Seats)

This three seat Dail Constituency would be centred on the South East Inner City LEA and Pembroke LEA

Dublin-Terenure (3 Seats)

This three seat Dail Constituency would be centred on the Kimmage-Rathmines LEA and include the adjacent parts of Terenure and Walkinstown in the County Council area

Dublin-Ballyfermot (3 Seats)

This three seat Dail Constituency would be centred on the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh LEA and the South West Inner City LEA

There is a historical precedent for these constituencies and such an arrangement would be future proofed to allow for intensification of land use and population growth in the years ahead.

Is mise le meas