The Midlands-North West constituency is to gain an extra seat in the next European Parliament.

Ireland currently has 13 MEPs but has been allocated a 14th seat in the next elections due to the country’s growing population.

This morning, An Coimisiún Toghcháin (the Electoral Commission) published its report on how the constituency boundaries should be redrawn to take account of the new seat.

It has recommended that the Midlands-North West constituency should get the extra seat, making it a five-seat constituency.

The commission has also recommended that Offaly and Laois should be brought into the constituency from Ireland South.

“The Dublin constituency will remain unchanged.

“As Ireland’s independent electoral commission, we have worked quickly to ensure this recommendation is brought forward ahead of the statutory schedule,” Chair and Supreme Court Judge Marie Baker said.

“It is now for the Oireachtas to consider and legislate appropriately.”

Today @ElecCommIRL makes its independent recommendations to @OireachtasNews
on the make-up of Ireland’s electoral constituencies for June’s #EuropeanParliament elections.

Read more: https://t.co/OJoG6hyZBA…@EPinIreland@OireachtasNews@IrelandRepBru@emireland@eurireland pic.twitter.com/TtOJrJq0Ze

— An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission (@ElecCommIRL) November 20, 2023

Voters will go to the polls in June, electing 14 MEPs and county councillors in each of Ireland’s 31 local authorities. 

In 2019, Fianna Fáil topped the poll in the local elections with 26.9% of the vote, with Fine Gael a close second with 25.3% support. 

In the European elections, Fine Gael won 29.6% of the vote, with Fianna Fáil in second place with 16.5%. 

The results saw five Fine Gael MEPs elected, alongside two each from Fianna Fáil and Greens, one from Sinn Féin and three independents. 

Main image: Flags of the European Union and its member states in front of the building of the European Parliament. Picture by: Philipp von Ditfurth/DPA/PA Images