North Clare is to lose it’s electoral area as part of a radical shake-up of local government.
The Environment Minister has approved the Boundary Commission’s plans for voting areas from next year, confirming that Clare is to lose four county councillors.
In the last local elections, Clare had six electoral areas but this will now fall to four for next year’s vote.
Ennis West and Ennis East merge to form a single 8-seat electoral area for the county town and it’s surrounding areas, with the outer boundaries unchanged, while the Ennistymon electoral area is no more.
Many voters there will now elect representatives in an expanded West Clare, though some residents in the North of the county including New Quay, Tubber and Ruan will vote in an expanded Killaloe Municipal District which still takes in East Clare.
That will have six Councillors, as will the Shannon electoral area, which expands to include more of South-East Clare and an extra 9,000 voters.
The total membership of Clare County Council falls from 32 to 28, while nationally the number of Councillors will drop from over 1,600 to 949. Much of this is achieved by the now confirmed abolition of Town Councils, including those in Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush and Kilkee.
