Extra TD for Dublin West?

[Eirenua]

Extra TD for Dublin West?
http://www.rte.ie/business/2007/0426/census.html

[Murt]

According to Shane Coleman in todays Sunday Tribune, A Dublin West constituent, Fergal Molloy, is going to the High Court to declare that the Minister for the Environment has the legal power to turn that constituency into a 4 seater. The case will be heard next Tuesday

A section of the 1992 Electoral Act gives the Minister the power to fix any problem in relation to the election by ministerial order - including a change to the 2005 Electoral Amendment Act underpinning the current constituencies.

The High Court cannot compell the Minister to change the number of seats but it can state that he has the power to do so. He is unlikely to want to make this change as the extra seat will most likely not go to FF or the PD's

In a way it would be a pity if he did increase the no of TDs. I am looking forward to the scrap after the election where the 4th place candidate, goes to the courts to have the whole election, or just that part affected ie this constituency, declared invalid, as it was not in accordance with the Constitution.

[Podolski]

It won't happen. The current legislation says the number of TDs in the Dail is 166. He can't increase that without going to, er... the Dail and he certainly can't take a seat off somewhere else to give to Dublin West.

[Murt]

Perhaps, but aren't there other constituencies that have more TDs than allowed under the Constitution. He could take a TD from the constituency that is most overrepresented (provided that FF don't expect to take the final seat in that constituency).

[Catalpa]

It's not going to happen - storm in a teacup...