Electoral Commission
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-15
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Mary Fitzpatrick (FF), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting my Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. It is always good to have a return visitor here in the Seanad and he is always very welcome.
This morning, I seek an update on the Government's response to the final report of the local democracy task force and particularly its recommendations around strengthening our local democracy and local government and reviewing or potentially revising the local electoral boundaries.
At the outset, I thank the councillors, including those from my own party, Fianna Fáil, and others, along with the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA, under the chairmanship of Mr. Jim Breslin, who worked on and produced an excellent final local democracy task force report.
As the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on local government here in the Seanad, this is an issue I have raised previously with the Minister of State and other Ministers. I raise it not just because I am a spokesperson on local government but I am a former city councillor myself. I fully appreciate the value of local government and local democracy and how local communities really value their elected local representatives. It is really important that the Government responds constructively to the local democracy report.
Last year, we had statements on the task force and at that point, I highlighted the need for the Government to take actions to strengthen local democracy and ensure that local councils can effectively represent their communities and respond to their communities' needs. More recently, in March, I sought an update from the Minister on the progress of the task force report. I again urged the Government to take on board the recommendations. It was in March that the local democracy task force actually submitted or presented its final report to the Minister, Deputy James Browne. I know the Minister has been considering it with his officials.
However, councillors and councils right around the country - we have 31 local authorities - and the communities they serve are really anxious to hear a response from Government to that report. They are really engaged in their local communities and in local democracy. One issue that is of particular importance is the potential for the local boundary reviews. The local elections will obviously take place in 2029. Population growth and changing demographics mean that electoral areas must be reviewed and it is really important to ensure that there is fair and adequate representation. Every citizen's voice should carry equal weight, regardless of where he or she lives, so the boundary review is really important. It is also important for the communities because they want to know that their natural historic boundaries are going to be respected and protected.
I have a couple of questions for the Minister of State. What recommendations from the local democracy task force has the Government accepted? Is there going to be a review of the boundaries? How will that review take place? When will it take place? Has the Electoral Commission got the resources to undertake it and how are councillors and local communities going to be consulted on it? Our local democracy is of incredible importance. It is the part of government that is closest to the citizens and our communities and it is really important that there is transparency and clarity around this. I want a review or a response from the Government that is going to strengthen local government and local democracy, as well as empowering our elected representatives and our local communities. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:16+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-15