EXCLUSIVE: Tipperary to be split for General Election?

Preliminary Census 2022 results suggest that Tipperary could be moving to a two constituency county once again with three TD’s to be elected in both areas in 2025.

Despite a modest 5.1% increase in the county’s population to 167,661 - a difference of 8,108 people - the county may have to move to cater for the numbers with South and North Tipperary Riding constituencies to be returned - the Constitution requires there to be a TD for every 30,000 people.

Nationally, the expectation is that there will be an extra 17 TD’s in Dáil Éireann to cater for the 5,123,526 people in the country. And, one of those extra TD’s could well be in Tipperary, meaning a return to a six TD county for the first time in fourteen years - the 2011 election. The 2016 and 2020 General Elections were both one constituency elections for Tipperary, but South and North Riding could well be on the cards again.

This decision, which will more than likely not be taken until next year, will be determined by the yet to be established independent Electoral Commission and could possibly see parts of other counties moving into Tipperary for electoral purposes.