Editing Local electoral area (section)

==Boundary changes==
{{anchor|Boundary Committee}}<!-- [[Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee]] redirects here -->
Boundaries for local electoral areas and municipal district are determined by [[statutory instrument]] of the [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage]].<ref>{{cite Irish legislation|name=[[Local Government Reform Act 2014]]|year=2014|number=1|date=27 January 2014|section=19|stitle=Municipal districts}}</ref> The Minister must first request the [[Electoral Commission (Ireland)|Electoral Commission]] to prepare a report. The minister must have regard to this report in making any changes.<ref>{{Cite Irish legislation|title=[[Electoral Reform Act 2022]]|year=2022|number=30|section=60|stitle=Local electoral area boundary review functions|date=25 July 2022}}</ref>

Prior to the establishment of the Electoral Commission in 2023, recommendations on local electoral boundary changes were made by an independent boundary committee established for that purpose.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage |title=General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill 2020 |url=https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/34cf6-general-scheme-of-the-electoral-reform-bill-2020/ |pages=57–59 |publisher=Government of Ireland |access-date=11 January 2021 |language=en |date=8 January 2021 |archive-date=9 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109073455/https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/34cf6-general-scheme-of-the-electoral-reform-bill-2020/ |url-status=live }}; {{cite news |last1=O'Halloran |first1=Marie |title=Election regulator on horizon as Government approves proposals |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-regulator-on-horizon-as-government-approves-proposals-1.4126828 |access-date=11 January 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=30 December 2020 |language=en |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120205144/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-regulator-on-horizon-as-government-approves-proposals-1.4126828 |url-status=live }}</ref> A boundary committee has been required since 1994 for electoral areas.<ref>{{cite Irish legislation|name=Local Government Act 1994 |year=1994|number=8|access-date=27 January 2014|section=24|stitle=Local electoral areas|date=29 April 1994}}</ref><ref name="leabc2013">{{cite book|title=Report 2013 |url=http://www.boundarycommittee.ie/reports/2013-Report.pdf#page=15 |author=Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee |date=30 May 2013 |publisher=Stationery Office |pages=13–14 |isbn=978-1-4064-2767-7 |access-date=29 April 2015 |location=Dublin |format=PDF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305083921/http://www.boundarycommittee.ie/reports/2013-Report.pdf#page=15 |archive-date=5 March 2016 }}</ref> The 2012–13 '''Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee''' considered both administrative areas (municipal districts, though not counties/cities) and electoral areas.<ref name="leabc2013"/> In 2015, separate committees were set up to consider adjustments to county and municipal boundaries passing through each of four urban areas: [[Athlone]], [[Carlow]], [[Drogheda]], and [[Waterford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.housing.gov.ie/local-government/reform/boundaries/minister-alan-kelly-appoints-groups-review-local-government|title=Minister Alan Kelly Appoints Groups to Review Local Government Boundaries in Drogheda/Athlone/Waterford/Carlow|date=19 June 2015|work=News|publisher=Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government|access-date=28 January 2019|archive-date=5 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705062912/https://www.housing.gov.ie/local-government/reform/boundaries/minister-alan-kelly-appoints-groups-review-local-government|url-status=live}}</ref> A Boundary Committee established in 2017 and which reported in June 2018 recommended alterations to municipal districts and local electoral areas which were implemented in December 2018.