AN INDEPENDENT TD has called for a referendum to be held on placing a cap on the number of TDs in Leinster House.
Noel Grealish yesterday told the Dáil that the number of TDs could grow to 240 by 2050 due to population growth.
There are currently 160 TDs and this will increase to 174 after the next General Election.
According to the Constitution, there must be an average of one TD to represent every 20,000 to 30,000 people in the country.
Grealish told the Dáil yesterday that the ESRI forecasts that by 2040, Ireland’s population will have grown by 900,000.
Meanwhile, the CSO’s highest population increase scenario would put Ireland’s population at more than 7 million in 2057.
“That would mean that the number of TDs in this House would have to increase from the current total of 160 to almost 240,” said Grealish.
He said the Chamber “would not be able to accommodate that number of Dáil Deputies” and that a new Chamber would have to be built.
Grealish also said this would cost “hundreds of millions of euro” due to the need to provide additional offices and funding “associated parliamentary and support staff for each elected Member”.
Grealish also pointed to recent remarks from Senator Michael McDowell, who said the number of MPs in the UK Parliament would increase from 650 to 2,400 if it used the same criteria as Ireland.
He also noted that Italy held a referendum in 2020 that resulted in a reduction in the number of elected politicians – 70% of people voted in favour of this.
Grealish said that he would leave it to the Electoral Commission to determine what the number of TDs should be capped at.
He told Minister Paschal Donohoe: “Will the Minister, his party and their partners in Government agree to ask the Electoral Commission to look into the idea of placing a cap on the number of TDs and putting this to a referendum?”
Donohoe replied that the Electoral Commission has “already indicated a willingness to consider” the issue and that it wants a “national conversation” on “whether Dáil Éireann should continue to grow to match the increase in population”.
He added that it is “important not to lose sight of something that is very positive” and that there “more people living here who deserve and require more representation”.
Donohoe said he “would be reluctant to put any cap” on TD numbers “at the moment” and added: “If that is something we have to contend with as a consequence of our country continuing to grow, then that is a good thing.”
“I would not like to see unlimited growth but on the other hand,” said Donohoe, “the level of representation that we have within our country at the moment does broadly work and I would not like to see any sudden change in that regard.”
However, Grealish replied that a proposal to cap the number of TDs to “bring Ireland’s Parliament into line with other EU countries is a question that the Irish people should have the opportunity to decide”.
“This Chamber here will become redundant,” said Grealish.
“Let the people decide how many Members should be in this House, not Members themselves.”
Donohoe ended the exchange by stating that he is “sure” that the Electoral Commission “plans to publish a paper or to publish some interventions in relation to this in the time ahead”.
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