More than 30,000 voters are to be transferred between the current Galway constituencies in the latest shake-up of the electoral boundaries which will see Galway East return an extra TD to the next Dáil Eireann.
The number of TDs for Galway West/South Mayo will remain at five, but the constituency will see 6,000 voters return to their fold to a new single Mayo constituency which will have a fifth seat and will represent voters inside the established county boundaries.
Most of these votes were already in the Ballinrobe and Shrule areas.The entire population of the counties of Mayo and Roscommon will now be within each of their own constituencies. The Commission recommended the allocation of one additional seat to both of the constituencies of Galway East and Mayo, with the allocation of the additional seats accompanied by transfers of population from neighbouring constituencies.
A decision by a previous review to reduce Galway East to three seats and transfer a massive 48 electoral areas to the new constituency of Galway-Roscommon caused consternation. This Commission has compensated for that somewhat and 32 electoral divisions will return to Galway East, but 16 remain with Roscommon, including the large town of Ballinasloe — a prized vote centre for candidates.
