Offaly to be three- seater constituency?

It's being widely reported the Constituency Commission will suggest splitting the current Laois/Offaly five seater constituency into two three seater constituencies when it reports back to the Oireachtas this month. The Commission, which went to work reviewing constituencies across the State last year, is within weeks of presenting its recommendations. Census figures reveal Laois/Offaly as the constituency with the highest ratio of population to Dáil deputy nationwide at 30,565. The Irish constitution allows for a ratio between 20,000 and 30,000, meaning some change must happen in this constituency. In October 2007 voters in southern Offaly were moved to the North Tipperary constituency. Voting numbers in that area currently stands at 3,430 according to Offaly County Council and it's hoped locally the Constituency Commission report will suggest returning those voters to an Offaly constituency. According to census figures Offaly's population currently stands at 76,806, with 55,538 of those aged 18 or over and therefore eligible to vote. The county population means Offaly could in theory be formed into one three-seater constituency in the future. Last Friday the Irish Times reported that the report due this month will see Laois/Offaly split in two. The same report suggested Tipperary's two three-seat constituencies will be merged into a single five-seater, with the same taking place in Kerry and Donegal. It also suggested that a seat would be lost in Cork South Central, while three would be lost overall in Dublin. It was suggested that the five-seat Cavan-Monaghan constituency will be reduced to a four-seater, with the lost seat going to either Galway or Mayo. The old Sligo-Leitrim constituency could also be restored, it's reported. Speaking to the Offaly Independent a Constituency Commission spokesperson said the organisation would neither confirm nor deny rumours until its report has been published. The Constituency Commission is chaired by High Court Judge Mr Justice John Cooke. He's joined by Dáil clerk Kieran Coughlan, Seanad clerk Deirdre Lane, Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly and secretary general of the Department of the Environment Geraldine Tallon.