2024 European Parliament election in Ireland
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The 2024 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 2024 European Parliament election and was held on Friday, 7 June 2024, the same day as the Irish local elections and Limerick mayoral election.[2]
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7 June 2024
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14 Irish seats to the European Parliament[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 1,800,226 (50.7%  1.0 pp) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Electoral system
Ireland is entitled to 14 MEPs in the Tenth European Parliament. They are elected on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote in three constituencies:
- Dublin (4 seats);
- Midlands–North-West (5 seats); and
- South (5 seats).
Thirteen MEPs were elected in 2019. However, the last candidate elected in Dublin and in South did not take their seats until January 2020, as part of the post-Brexit redistribution of seats. Ireland was allocated an additional seat in 2023 after a pre-election assessment of the parliament composition based on the most recent population figures.[3][1][4] The Electoral Commission recommended this seat be given to Midlands–North-West, with the transfer of County Laois and County Offaly from the South constituency.[5][6] This change was implemented by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023.
Franchise
Irish citizens and other non-Irish EU citizens residing in the country are entitled to vote in the European elections in Ireland, provided that they are registered to vote for EU elections and that they have submitted a statutory declaration issued by the local authority of their residence. Irish citizens residing abroad cannot vote in Ireland in a referendum or election, including European election. In addition, those eligible to vote must turn 18 years old by election day at the latest.[7]
Outgoing delegation
The table shows the detailed composition of the Irish seats at the European Parliament as of 24 January 2024.[8]
| EP Group | Seats | Party | Seats | MEPs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European People's Party | 5 / 13 |
Fine Gael | 5 | |||
| The Left in the European Parliament | 4 / 13 |
Independents 4 Change | 2 | |||
| Sinn Féin | 1 | |||||
| Independents | 1 | |||||
| Renew Europe | 2 / 13 |
Fianna Fáil | 2 | |||
| Greens–European Free Alliance | 2 / 13 |
Green Party | 2 | |||
| Total | 13 | |||||
Retiring incumbents
| Constituency | Departing MEP | Party | EP Group | First elected | Date announced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | Deirdre Clune | Fine Gael | EPP | 2014 | 15 November 2023[9] | ||
| Dublin | Frances Fitzgerald | Fine Gael | EPP | 2019 | 6 November 2023[10] | ||
| Midlands–North-West | Colm Markey | Fine Gael | EPP | 2020 | 23 March 2024[11] | ||
Campaign
Timeline
- 5 April: Ministerial order fixing the election date made by Darragh O'Brien, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
- 15 April: Opening of the nomination period
- 22 April: Close of the nomination period for non-Irish EU citizens
- 30 April: Close of the nomination period for Irish citizens
- 8 May: Date on which posters may be erected
- 7 June: Polling day (7 a.m.–10 p.m.)
- 9 June: Counting of votes commences
Debates
On Monday 20 May 2024 RTÉ One's Upfront with Katie Hannon hosted a debate between eight candidates running in the Midlands-North-West constituency: Peter Casey (Ind), Barry Cowen (FF), Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (Ind), Saoirse McHugh (Ind), Chris MacManus (SF), Pauline O'Reilly (GP), Peadar Tóibín (Aon) and Maria Walsh (FG).[12]
On Friday 30 May RTÉ One's Prime Time hosted 8 candidates from the South constituency: Lorna Bogue (Rabh), Paul Gavan (SF), Niamh Hourigan (Lab), Billy Kelleher (FF), Michael McNamara (Ind), John Mullins (FG), Grace O'Sullivan (GP) and Mick Wallace of (I4C).[13]
On Tuesday 4 June RTÉ One's Prime Time hosted 8 candidates from the Dublin constituency: Barry Andrews (FF), Ciarán Cuffe (GP), Clare Daly (I4C), Regina Doherty (FG), Aodhán Ó Riordáin (Lab), Lynn Boylan (SF), Sinéad Gibney (SD) and Bríd Smith (PBP–S).[14]
Opinion polls
Nationwide party polling
| Last date of polling |
Polling firm / Commissioner | Sample size |
SF Left |
FF Renew |
FG EPP |
GP G/EFA |
Lab S&D |
SD | PBP–S | Aon | II | O/I[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2024 | Ireland Thinks/The Journal[15] | 1,161 | 17.4 | 17.7 | 18 | 7.2 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 2.8 | 5[c] | – [d] | 23 |
| 22 May 2024 | Red C/Business Post[16] | 1,021 | 21 | 14 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | – [d] | 25[e] |
| 15 May 2024 | Ipsos B&A/Irish Times[17] | 1,500 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 21 |
| 7 May 2024 | Ireland Thinks/The Journal[18] | 1,633 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | – [d] | 24 |
| 7 April 2024 | Ireland Thinks/The Journal[19] | 1,334 | 23 | 17 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | – [d] | 17 |
| 7 February 2024 | Ireland Thinks/The Journal[20] | 1,255 | 26 | 19 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | – [d] | – [d] | 19 |
| 8 February 2020 | 2020 general election | N/a | 24.5 | 22.2 | 20.9 | 7.1 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | – [f] | 13.5 |
| 24 May 2019 | 2019 EP election | N/a | 11.7 | 16.6 | 29.6 | 11.4 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 2.3 | – [f] | – [f] | 24.1 |
Candidate polling
Dublin
| Last date of polling |
Polling firm / Commissioner | Sample size |
Andrews (FF) | L. Boylan (SF) | Doherty (FG) | Ó Riordáin (Lab) | Cuffe (GP) | Smith (PBP–S) | Daly (I4C) | Gibney (SD) | N. Boylan (II) | Doolan (SF) | Considine (Aon) | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2024[21] | Ireland Thinks/Sunday Independent | 496 | 14.1 | 11.2 | 15 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 8.3 | 4.6 | 9.2 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 12.5 |
| 15 May 2024[17] | Ipsos B&A/The Irish Times | 500 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| 7 May 2024[22] | Ireland Thinks/Sunday Independent | 457[23] | 17 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
Midlands–North-West
| Last date of polling |
Polling firm / Commissioner | Sample size |
Flanagan (Ind) | Walsh (FG) | Cowen (FF) | Chambers (FF) | Carberry (FG) | Gildernew (SF) | Mullooly (II) | MacManus (SF) | Blaney (FF) | Casey (Ind) | Tóibín (Aon) | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2024[21] | Ireland Thinks/Sunday Independent | 614 | 12.1 | 12.5 | 10.5 | 5.3 | 7 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 5.6 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 7.5 | 20.5 |
| 15 May 2024[17] | Ipsos B&A/The Irish Times | 500 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| 7 May 2024[22] | Ireland Thinks/Sunday Independent | 631[23] | 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 21 |
South
| Last date of polling |
Polling firm / Commissioner | Sample size |
Kelly (FG) | Kelleher (FF) | Funchion (SF) | Ní Mhurchú (FF) | Gavan (SF) | Hourigan (Lab) | McNamara (Ind) | Mullins (FG) | Blighe (IF) | O'Sullivan (GP) | Wallace (I4C) | Doyle (SD) | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2024[21] | Ireland Thinks/Sunday Independent | 660 | 18.5 | 14.4 | 9.5 | 4.6 | 5.7 | 3.6 | 9.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 3.3 | 10.5 |
| 15 May 2024[17] | Ipsos B&A/The Irish Times | 500 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| 7 May 2024[22] | Ireland Thinks/Sunday Independent | 643[23] | 14 | 16 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 12 |
Results
| Party | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Gael | 362,766 | 20.79 | -8.81 | 4 | -1 | |
| Fianna Fáil | 356,794 | 20.44 | +3.84 | 4 | +2 | |
| Sinn Féin | 194,403 | 11.14 | -0.56 | 2 | +1 | |
| Independent Ireland | 108,685 | 6.23 | New | 1 | New | |
| Labour Party | 58,975 | 3.38 | +0.28 | 1 | +1 | |
| Green Party | 93,575 | 5.36 | -6.04 | 0 | -2 | |
| Independents 4 Change | 79,658 | 4.56 | -2.82 | 0 | -2 | |
| Aontú | 65,559 | 3.76 | New | 0 | New | |
| Social Democrats | 51,571 | 2.95 | +1.75 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ireland First | 32,667 | 1.87 | New | 0 | New | |
| People Before Profit–Solidarity | 31,802 | 1.82 | -0.48 | 0 | 0 | |
| Irish Freedom Party | 29,709 | 1.70 | New | 0 | New | |
| National Party | 12,879 | 0.74 | New | 0 | New | |
| Rabharta | 11,302 | 0.65 | New | 0 | New | |
| The Irish People | 11,024 | 0.63 | New | 0 | New | |
| Independent | 243,861 | 13.97 | -1.73 | 2 | +1 | |
| Total | 1,745,230 | 100.00 | – | 14 | +1 | |
| Valid votes | 1,745,230 | 96.95 | ||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 54,996 | 3.05 | ||||
| Total votes | 1,800,226 | 100.00 | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 3,554,450 | 50.65 | ||||
| Source: [24] | ||||||
MEPs elected
The elected MEPs took office on 16 July. This left four vacancies in the Dáil and one vacancy in the Seanad. Another senator elected as an MEP had resigned her Seanad seat on 10 July, and was replaced by a nominee on the same day. A writ for by-elections for the vacancies in the Dáil must be moved within 6 months of that date.[25]
Notes
- Pictured here are the party's two successful candidates in the 2019 election, Mick Wallace and Clare Daly.
- The figure for 'Others/Independents' (including Independents 4 Change candidates) is the remainder when all others are removed. As with all such calculations, the figure shown may be slightly inaccurate due to rounding effects.
- Includes 'Others'.
- Not specifically mentioned in the report.
- Includes 21% for 'Independent' and 4% for 'Other Party'.
- Did not contest this election.