Local electoral area

A local electoral area (LEA; Irish: toghlimistéar áitiúil) is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average population of 28,700 and average area of 423.3 square kilometres (163.4 sq mi). The boundaries of LEAs are determined by order of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, usually based on lower-level units called electoral divisions (EDs), with a total of 3,440 EDs in the state.

As well as their use for electoral purposes, LEAs are local administrative units in Eurostat NUTS classification. They are used in local numbers of cases of COVID-19.

Municipal districts

A municipal district (Irish: ceantar bardasach) is a division of a local authority which can exercise certain powers of the local authority. They came into being on 1 June 2014, ten days after the local elections, under the provisions of the Local Government Reform Act 2014. Of the 31 local authorities, 25 are subdivided into municipal districts, which comprise one or more LEA. The exceptions are the three city councils (Cork City, Dublin City and Galway City) and the three county councils in Dublin (Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin). A district associated with a city or borough is termed a metropolitan district (ceantar cathrach) or borough district (ceantar buirge) respectively.

In 2019, John Paul Phelan, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, commented in the Dáil:

Municipal districts have an extensive list of functions currently, but the situation is haphazard ... some local authorities are better at performing some functions than others. I have found that some local authorities have a strong municipal district structure, with the districts being where most of the nitty-gritty work of local authorities is done, be it roads, footpaths or lights. Some do not have that structure, though, with decisions rehashed or debated again at the councils' plenary sessions.

Boundary changes

Boundaries for local electoral areas and municipal district are determined by statutory instrument of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister must first request the Electoral Commission to prepare a report. The minister must have regard to this report in making any changes.

Prior to the establishment of the Electoral Commission in 2023, recommendations on local electoral boundary changes were made by an independent boundary committee established for that purpose. A boundary committee has been required since 1994 for electoral areas. The 2012–13 Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee considered both administrative areas (municipal districts, though not counties/cities) and electoral areas. In 2015, separate committees were set up to consider adjustments to county and municipal boundaries passing through each of four urban areas: Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda, and Waterford. A Boundary Committee established in 2017 and which reported in June 2018 recommended alterations to municipal districts and local electoral areas which were implemented in December 2018.

Current LEAs

Below are the districts and local electoral areas as defined by the most recent SI in each case and which were used at the 2019 local elections. The minister ultimately did not alter the areas for the 2024 local elections. Unless otherwise specified, districts are titled "Municipal District of Carlow", etc.

Council	Seats	District	Local electoral area (LEA)	Seats
Carlow County Council	18	Carlow		7
		Muinebeag		5
		Tullow		6
Cavan County Council	18	Bailieborough—Cootehill		6
		Ballyjamesduff		6
		Cavan–Belturbet		6
Clare County Council	28	Ennis		7
		Killaloe		5
		Shannon		7
		West Clare	Ennistymon	4
			Kilrush	5
Cork City Council	31		Cork City North-East	6
			Cork City North-West	6
			Cork City South-Central	6
			Cork City South-East	6
			Cork City South-West	7
Cork County Council	55	Bandon—Kinsale		6
		Carrigaline		6
		Cobh		6
		East Cork	Midleton	7
		Fermoy		6
		Kanturk—Mallow	Kanturk	4
			Mallow	5
		Macroom		6
		West Cork	Bantry—West Cork	4
			Skibbereen—West Cork	5
Donegal County Council	37	Donegal		6
		Glenties		6
		Inishowen	Buncrana	5
			Carndonagh	4
		Letterkenny—Milford	Letterkenny	7
			Milford	3
		Lifford—Stranorlar		6
Dublin City Council	63		Artane—Whitehall	6
			Ballyfermot—Drimnagh	5
			Ballymun—Finglas	6
			Cabra—Glasnevin	7
			Clontarf	6
			Donaghmede	5
			Kimmage—Rathmines	6
			North Inner City	7
			Pembroke	5
			South East Inner City	5
			South West Inner City	5
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council	40		Blackrock	6
			Dundrum	7
			Dún Laoghaire	7
			Glencullen—Sandyford	7
			Killiney—Shankill	6
			Stillorgan	6
Fingal County Council	40		Balbriggan	5
			Blanchardstown—Mulhuddart	5
			Castleknock	6
			Howth—Malahide	7
			Ongar	5
			Rush—Lusk	5
			Swords	7
Galway City Council	18		Galway City West	6
			Galway City Central	6
			Galway City East	6
Galway County Council	39	Athenry	Athenry—Oranmore	7
		Ballinasloe		6
		Conamara	Conamara North	4
			Conamara South	5
		Loughrea	Gort—Kinvara	5
			Loughrea	5
		Tuam		7
Kerry County Council	33	An Daingean—Castleisland	An Daingean	3
			Castleisland	4
		Kenmare		6
		Killarney		7
		Listowel		6
		Tralee		7
Kildare County Council	40	Athy		5
		Celbridge—Leixlip	Celbridge	4
			Leixlip	3
		Clane—Maynooth	Clane	5
			Maynooth	5
		Kildare—Newbridge	Kildare	5
			Newbridge	6
		Naas		7
Kilkenny County Council	24	Callan—Thomastown		6
		Castlecomer		6
		Kilkenny City	Kilkenny	7
		Piltown		5
Laois County Council	19	Borris-in-Ossory—Mountmellick		6
		Graiguecullen—Portarlington		6
		Portlaoise		7
Leitrim County Council	18	Ballinamore		6
		Carrick-on-Shannon		6
		Manorhamilton		6
Limerick City and County Council	40	Metropolitan District of Limerick City	Limerick City East	7
			Limerick City North	7
			Limerick City West	7
		Adare—Rathkeale		6
		Cappamore—Kilmallock		7
		Newcastle West		6
Longford County Council	18	Ballymahon		6
		Granard		5
		Longford		7
Louth County Council	29	Ardee		6
		Borough District of Drogheda	Drogheda Rural	4
			Drogheda Urban	6
		Dundalk	Dundalk—Carlingford	6
			Dundalk South	7
Mayo County Council	30	Ballina		6
		Castlebar		7
		Claremorris	Claremorris	6
			Swinford	4
		Westport—Belmullet	Westport	4
			Belmullet	3
Meath County Council	40	Ashbourne		6
		Kells		7
		Laytown—Bettystown		7
		Navan		7
		Ratoath		7
		Trim		6
Monaghan County Council	18	Ballybay—Clones		5
		Carrickmacross—Castleblayney		6
		Monaghan		7
Offaly County Council	19	Birr		6
		Edenderry		6
		Tullamore		7
Roscommon County Council	18	Athlone		6
		Boyle		6
		Roscommon		6
Sligo County Council	18	Borough District of Sligo	Sligo—Strandhill	6
		Ballymote—Tobercurry		7
		Sligo—Drumcliff		5
South Dublin County Council	40		Clondalkin	7
			Firhouse—Bohernabreena	5
			Lucan	5
			Palmerstown—Fonthill	5
			Rathfarnham—Templeogue	7
			Tallaght Central	6
			Tallaght South	5
Tipperary County Council	40	Borough District of Clonmel	Clonmel	6
		Cahir—Cashel	Cahir	4
			Cashel—Tipperary	7
		Carrick-on-Suir		5
		Nenagh	Nenagh	5
			Newport	4
		Thurles	Thurles	5
			Roscrea—Templemore	4
Waterford City and County Council	32	Metropolitan District of Waterford City	Tramore—Waterford City West	6
			Waterford City East	6
			Waterford City South	6
		Comeragh	Portlaw—Kilmacthomas	5
		Dungarvan—Lismore	Dungarvan	6
			Lismore	3
Westmeath County Council	20	Athlone—Moate	Athlone	5
			Moate	4
		Mullingar—Kinnegad	Mullingar	6
			Kinnegad	5
Wexford County Council	34	Enniscorthy		6
		Gorey—Kilmuckridge	Gorey	6
			Kilmuckridge	4
		New Ross		6
		Rosslare		5
		Borough District of Wexford	Wexford	7
Wicklow County Council	32	Arklow		6
		Baltinglass		6
		Bray	Bray East	4
			Bray West	4
		Greystones		6
		Wicklow		6

See also

• Counties of Ireland
• Dáil constituencies