Galway West (Dáil constituency)

Galway West is a five-seat constituency in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament. It elects its members using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). The constituency covers the western part of County Galway, including Galway city, Connemara, and the Aran Islands.

History and Boundaries

The constituency was first created for the 1937 general election. Its boundaries have been revised several times since then, generally to account for population changes. The current boundaries were defined by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2017. Significant boundary changes often occur after each census.

Electoral System

As a five-seat constituency, Galway West provides a degree of proportional representation to different political parties and independent candidates. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. Candidates who reach a quota are elected, and their surplus votes are redistributed. If no candidate reaches the quota after the first count, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed. This process continues until all five seats are filled.

Notable Representatives

Galway West has been represented by numerous prominent Irish politicians over the years. Notable past TDs (Teachtaí Dála - Members of Parliament) include Éamon de Valera (Taoiseach and President of Ireland), Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (European Commissioner), and Frank Fahey.

Current Representatives (as of [Insert Date of Information - e.g., October 26, 2023])

The current TDs representing Galway West are:

• [List of current representatives and their parties here - e.g., Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael)]
• [List of current representatives and their parties here - e.g., Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin)]
• [List of current representatives and their parties here - e.g., Catherine Connolly (Independent)]
• [List of current representatives and their parties here - e.g., Éamon Ó Cuív (Fianna Fáil)]
• [List of current representatives and their parties here - e.g., Órfhlaith Begley (Sinn Féin)]

See also

• Dáil Éireann
• Constituencies of Dáil Éireann
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland