South Kildare to get another TD under new changes

The Constituency Commission has recommended increasing the number of TDs in the Dáil from 158 to 160 - and Kildare-South will become a four seater.

But there will still only be three seats up for grabs at the next election as the Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail be automatically re-elected.

The expanded Kildare South constituency will take in new voters in Monasterevin, Churchtown, Ballybracken, Harristown, Kilberry and Kildangan who voted in Laois/Offaly the last time around.

The next general election will be contested across 39 constituencies of which 13 will be five-seater constituencies, 17 will be four-seaters and nine will be three-seaters.

At least one of the six TDs across the two constituencies of Laois and Offaly will lose out at the next election as those constituencies are to merge into a single five-seater one.

The Commission examined the latest census information ahead of announcing its recommendations.

One of the new seats will be in Dublin Central which will return four TDs at the next election.

Cavan-Monaghan will have its Dáil representation boosted as it changes from a four seat to a five seat constituency.