Constituency review allows room to breathe for some high-profile TDs

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The constituency which elected Sinn Fein TD Donnchadh O Laoghaire, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath and Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney has picked up an extra seat. There are a lot of close links between people in South Wicklow and North Wexford and I guess this will mean we will be even closer Malcolm Byrne The old Wicklow and Wexford constituencies will lose a seat each, down from five to four, in a major change which sees territory from each area being transferred to create the new three-seat constituency of Wicklow-Wexford – representing an overall increase of one TD. Mr Byrne said: “There are a lot of close links between people in South Wicklow and North Wexford and I guess this will mean we will be even closer.” As expected, the five-seat Fingal constituency has also been carved up by the independent Electoral Commission into Fingal East and Fingal West, now with three seats each. Fianna Fail’s Housing and Local Government Minister Darragh O’Brien, who has responsibility for electoral reform, will be happy that Fingal East neatly encompasses his Malahide base.