Cork to get two new TDs

Cork is set to gain an additional two seats within its constituencies, bringing the tally of TDs to 20 for the forthcoming election, an increase from its existing count of 18.

The Electoral Commission has recommended making changes to four of the five Cork constituencies, with only the Cork South-West constituency remaining unchanged.

The biggest changes are in Cork's North Central and South Central constituencies which have been allocated one additional seat each. Both constituencies which were 4-seaters now become 5-seat constituencies.

Along with the establishment of the two 5-seat constituencies, there will be one 4-seat constituency - Cork East; along with two 3-seat constituencies - Cork North-West and Cork South-West.

A significant change will be the transfer of Ballincollig from Cork North-West to Cork North Central. Three electoral districts, including Mallow, will also be transferred from the Cork East constituency to North Central.

12 electoral districts, including Bishopstown, will be transferred to the Cork South Central constituency from Cork North Central.

Three electoral districts are to be transferred out of Cork East but it remains a 3-seater constituency. Cork North-West is set to retain its three seats as electoral districts from both Cork East and Cork North-Central are to be transferred into this constituency.

Speaking about the political implications the new boundaries will have, Dr Theresa Reidy, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government and Politics, UCC, told the Cork Independent that Sinn Féin will benefit.

“In the city constituencies, the changes are going to favour Sinn Féin,” she said. “Currently, they are on 31 to 35% and that is considerably more than they had in 2020. They are polling ahead of their main competitors.

"In Cork South Central, there are two Fianna Fáil TDs that are comfortable (Micheál Martin and Michal McGrath), Simon Coveney will probably be reelected, and you have Sinn Féin's Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire. There will be a fight for the fifth seat. Fianna Fáil won't take a third and it’s hard to see how Fine Gael would be in the running for a second seat. They are polling on 20%. At the end of the day Sinn Féin will have more votes,” she added.

“Cork North Central is more complicated but Sinn Féin have been quite strong in that constituency and the wind will be in their sails. I imagine Thomas Gould will be under pressure to add a running mate.”

Anticipating the implications of the boundary shifts, elected officials nervously waited to see how the changes would affect their electoral fortunes, as a shift in boundaries can have a significant impact on their fate in an upcoming election.

One TD who is facing uncertainty after the redrawing of boundaries is Labour’s Sean Sherlock. Currently he represents the Cork East constituency, with his base in Mallow. However with Mallow now being transferred to the North Central constituency, there are questions over the impact it may have on his future. When asked about what the new boundaries might mean for him, he told The Cork Independent he was “still assessing what is a seismic shift in the political landscape. It is too early to make any detailed comment. I need some time to analyse this.”

Dr Theresa Reidy says that he has to seriously consider his next move. “Sean Sherlock faces a very interesting decision because North Central has expanded considerably. He has to decide where he will position himself, whether he will run in Cork East or perhaps in Cork North Central,” she said.

Speaking about the impact the constituency changes will have for Cork North Central, Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould said he was optimistic about his party’s chances of increasing their seats in the upcoming election. “There’s huge changes in but I’m excited,” he told the Cork Independent.

“Going from a four-seater to a five-seater, we will fight very hard to take two and maybe even three seats. We have done a lot of work in Bishopstown and we are losing that to South Central. But now we have areas like Ballincollig and Mallow. It’s a great opportunity for us and it could be very positive for Sinn Féin,” he said.