European Elections are held every 5 years, usually at the same time as Local Elections. European Parliament elections take place over a four day period in all member states, usually held in June.
In Ireland the day for the European election is set by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Who Can Vote in a European Election?
Anyone over 18, living in Ireland and if registered to vote can vote in European Elections. You must be a European citizen to vote in European elections.
If you live in Ireland but are a citizen of another EU country, you need to fill out an EP1 form to vote in Ireland on election day.
How many MEPS are elected in Ireland?
MEPs (Members of European Parliament) are elected to promote the interests of all European citizens. An Coimisiún Toghcháin (The Electoral Commission) carried out a constituency review in November 2023 to determine how many MEPS we would have.
In June 2024, Ireland elected 14 MEPS to represent Ireland.
In total, 14 MEPS were elected in 3 constituencies -
- 4 in Dublin
- 5 in Midlands-North- West
- 5 in the South.
What is the Role of an MEP?
The European Parliament has a total of 705 seats. Each MEP represents the interest of their constituents. They divide their time between their constituencies and two different cities: Strasbourg and Brussels.
An MEP in Parliament debates topics such as climate, security, migration, agriculture, human rights and finance.
An MEP can be a member of a political party or an independent. The Members of the European Parliament sit in political groups – they are not organised by nationality, but by political affiliation. There are currently 8 political groups in the European Parliament.
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