Sligo–Leitrim (Dáil constituency)
Sligo–Leitrim is a parliamentary constituency that has been represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas, from the 2016 general election. The constituency elects 4 deputies. The method of election is the single transferable vote form of proportional representation. Another constituency of the same name existed from 1948 to 2007.
History
1948–2007
The Sligo–Leitrim constituency was created under the Electoral Act 1947, and first used for the 1948 general election. It replaced the two previous constituencies of Sligo and Leitrim, which had been created for the 1937 general election.The constituency was abolished for the 2007 general election, when it was replaced by two new constituencies: Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim.
2016–2020
The Constituency Commission proposed in its 2012 report that at the next general election a new constituency called Sligo–Leitrim be created. The report proposed changes to the constituencies of Ireland so as to reduce the total number of TDs from 166 to 158.It was established by the Electoral Act 2013. It replaced the constituencies of Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim, and comprises all of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; nine electoral divisions of southern County Donegal, and thirty-six electoral divisions of western County Cavan.
The 2013 Act defines the constituency as:
This change was not popular, and created an unusual cross-province constituency, with Cavan and Donegal voters feeling unrepresented. One spoiled vote in 2016 read "I LIVE IN CAVAN!"
Since 2020
From the 2020 general election, the constituency comprises all of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; nine electoral divisions of southern County Donegal, and eighteen electoral divisions of northern County Roscommon. The electoral divisions of County Cavan were transferred to the Cavan–Monaghan constituency.The Electoral Act 2017 defines the constituency as:
Boundaries
The constituency originally existed from 1948 to 2007, initially electing 5 deputies, and covering the entire area of the County Sligo and County Leitrim in Connacht. Its boundaries were significantly revised in 1961, 1969 and 1977 when the number of seats was reduced to 4 and then 3. From 1977 to 1981 it included parts of County Donegal, but from 1981 until its abolition in 2007 it was again a 4-seat constituency, covering the whole of both counties including the towns of Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon and many other areas. For the 2016 general election, it was recreated as a 4-seater with the full territory of both counties, plus part of County Donegal and part of County Cavan.Its size and representation were revised on several occasions, summarised in the following table:
| Years | TDs | Boundaries | Law | Notes |
| 1948–1961 | 5 | The full territory of both counties. | Constituency created | |
| 1961–1969 | 4 | All of County Sligo, and all of County Leitrim except for those areas which were included in the Roscommon constituency. | Electoral Act 1961 | Adjustments to maintain voter-to-seat ratio at near national average. Most of the Carrick-on-Shannon and Mohill areas now in the Roscommon constituency. |
| 1969–1977 | 3 | All of County Sligo; and all of Leitrim, except the parts in the constituencies of Donegal–Leitrim and Roscommon–Leitrim. | Electoral Act 1969 | Large parts of County Leitrim moved to the two new neighbouring constituencies |
| 1977–1981 | 3 | All of County Sligo; in County Donegal, all of the Bundoran area and part of Ballyshannon; in County Leitrim, parts of the Kinlough and Manorhamilton districts. | Electoral Act 1974 | Major revision as part of the "Tullymander". Constituency is now effectively Sligo – Southmost Donegal and the small area of North Leitrim which was in the old Donegal–Leitrim constituency |
| 1981–1992 | 4 | The full territory of both counties. | Electoral Act 1980 | Restored to 1948 boundaries |
| 1992–2002 | 4 | The full territory of both counties. | Electoral Act 1990, Electoral Act 1995, Electoral Act 1998 | No changes |
| 2007 | — | Constituency abolished. | Electoral Act 2005 | The two counties now represented through the constituencies of Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim |
| 2016–2020 | 4 | All of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; in County Donegal, the Bundoran and Ballyshannon areas; western parts of County Cavan. | Electoral Act 2013 | Constituency re-created. |
| 2020–present | 4 | All of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; in County Donegal, the Bundoran and Ballyshannon areas; northern parts of County Roscommon. | Electoral Act 2017 | County Cavan electoral areas removed, parts of County Roscommon added. |