Minister Byrne welcomes constituency changes

Today's announcement on the electoral boundary changes has been welcomed by Minister for Sport, Thomas Byrne who said that a significant number of Meath voters have been returned to the Meath East constituency.

"I am happy that a significant portion of Meath residents who voted in the Cavan Monaghan and Louth constituencies in the last election will now be part of the Meath East constituency," he said.

"It is a pity that Bettystown will be split in half by the changes, but the Commission had a tough job to do under the constitution, and the situation is better than it was.

"I will be delighted to be canvassing in the next election in areas I am extremely familiar with and have canvassed in the past. People in those areas have been coming to my office, even when they were not in my constituency. Even this week, we were working on school transport issues in east Meath and Drumconrath."

Meath voters will elect seven TDs to the next Dail.

The new Meath East constituency recommended by the Electoral Commission will contain the electoral divisions in North Meath that have been in the Cavan/Monaghan constituency.

The county remains divided on the east coast, with the Julianstown electoral division, which is currently in the Louth constituency, returning to Meath East, but the St Mary's electoral division to the south of Drogheda remaining in the Louth constituency.

The Meath West constituency remains a three seater, but the electoral divisions in County Westmeath which have been part of the Meath West constituency will now be part of the Longford/Westmeath constituency.