Tallaght Area Chair Councillor Dermot Looney (Labour) has called for residents living in the Dublin 6w, 12 and 24 areas to consider making submissions to the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee. The Committee was established by the Minister for the Environment last year, and is due to recommend a series of new electoral areas for the next Council elections in 2014.
In calling for local citizens to consider making submissions, Looney has noted that, to date, no submissions have been made regarding the South Dublin County area. There are currently five LEA's on the Council; Tallaght Central (6 members), Tallaght South (5 members), Clondalkin (6 members), Lucan (5 members) and Rathfarnham (4 members). Substantial changes to all are expected, with their possible expansion in terms of seats, or the creation of new electoral areas.
“The Action Plan announced by the Minister last year
detailed very significant changes to how we elect local councillors,” stated
Looney. “One expected change is the increase in Cllrs on South Dublin County
Council from 26 to 40. Another is the abolition of current four- and five-seat
areas. New electoral areas will have between six and ten seats, with the
Minister recommending seven as a typical number.”
“There will be very substantial changes to how we
elect Councillors in our area, and I am calling on residents to have their say.
Residents can make a submission by post or email. Details are online at www.boundarycommittee.ie.
Submissions must be made by Friday, January 25th.”
“I am currently drafting my own submission in to
reflect my own feedback from voters, for example in ensuring that areas within Dublin 12 remain
contiguous, that communities in Tallaght are not split unnecessarily, and that
more thought is given to electoral area names.”
