Government to begin preparations as extra MEP to be sanctioned for Ireland

The Government will begin making arrangements on Wednesday to provide for an extra MEP in the State in anticipation of a European Parliament vote to confirm the new seat.

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien will tell ministerial colleagues at the weekly Cabinet meeting he expects the parliament to endorse a report recommending that several states including Ireland be allotted extra seats, because of rising population numbers.

The extra seat will bring the total number of MEPs in Ireland to 14. In its recent reports on constituencies, the Electoral Commission dealt with European constituencies on the basis that seat numbers would remain unchanged. However, it did state that if an extra seat were allotted to Ireland, it would begin work on a short report to give effect to the changes in constituency boundaries that would be required.

It is anticipated that the Midlands North West constituency would be most likely to get the additional seat, bringing its total to five. It would necessitate some additional counties – most likely Laois and Offaly – being included in the constituency, bringing the total number of counties to 15.

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The South constituency – which has five seats – and the four-seater Dublin constituency would remain unchanged under that scenario.

Mr O’Brien will also ask for approval for the Constituencies Bill, which will give effect to the Electoral Commission report on Dáil numbers and constituencies. Its report recommended an additional 14 TDs (bringing the number to 174) with an extra four constituencies.

[ What is the optimal number of TDs for Ireland? There’s a formula for that ]

Minister of State for Road Safety Jack Chambers will bring the report of the review of speed limits to Cabinet. Its conclusions are that speed limits should be dropped from 100km/h to 80km/h on secondary roads; from 80km/h to 60km/h on local and rural roads; and from 50km/h to 30km/h in central urban areas.

A taskforce will be set up to implement the recommendations during 2024 and 2025.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin will also inform colleagues that the State has submitted an advisory opinion to the International Court of Justice in relation to the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Ireland’s statement expressed concerns over settlement activity, in potential breach of international humanitarian law, and in particular the law of occupation, and that the policy impeded the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

Mr Martin will seek retrospective authority on the written statement, which was submitted in late July.

A total of 54 states and three international organisations have submitted written statements to the Court, including six other EU Member States, the US and the UK. Israeli and Palestinian statements were also submitted.

[ Frustration in Irish-Israeli relations remains in wake of Martin’s Middle East visit ]

Mr Martin visited the region last week, and met Israeli prime minister Binjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The Tánaiste will tell colleagues that, although not legally binding, the court’s advisory opinions carry significant weight and help clarify international law.