Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne has said a Constitutional Referendum to set a fixed number of TDs in Dáil Éireann is becoming increasingly necessary, as Ireland’s population continues to grow.
Deputy Byrne made the comments following the publication of new Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, which would require a minimum of 182 TDs in the next Dáil to meet current constitutional requirements. He warned that number could rise to 190 by the time the next Census review takes place in 2027. “There is a strong case now for a Constitutional referendum to fix the number of TDs,” Byrne said, “but it needs to be alongside a significant shift in powers to local government and an increase in the number of councillors.” He pointed out that when the Constitution was adopted in 1937, Ireland's population was under three million — far less than today’s figure, which continues to rise steadily. The existing constitutional framework ties the number of TDs to population size, which Byrne argues is no longer sustainable. The Wexford TD believes the solution is twofold: reform the Constitution to cap Dáil membership, while also empowering local councils to take on a greater share of governance. “We can’t simply keep expanding the size of the national parliament. If we’re serious about balanced governance, we need to equip local authorities to take on more responsibility,” he said. [audio mp3="https://www.southeastradio.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/08Malcolm.mp3"][/audio]
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