Local Elections

Full list of candidates for the Dublin City Council Local Elections 2024

Local Elections 2024

Local Elections will be held on the 7th June 2024 to elect 63 Members representing 11 Local Electoral Areas on Dublin City Council. The new Council will hold its first Annual Meeting on the 21st June 2024. The Local Elections will be held in accordance with the Local Election Regulations 1995. 

Electoral Areas

There are 11 Local Electoral Areas within Dublin City Council. These are:

• Artane-Whitehall (6 seats)
• Ballyfermot-Drimnagh (5 seats)
• Ballymun-Finglas (6 seats)
• Cabra-Glasnevin (7 seats)
• Clontarf (6 seats)
• Donaghmede (5 seats)
• Kimmage-Rathmines (6 seats)
• Pembroke (5 seats)
• North Inner City (7 seats)
• South West Inner City (5 seats)
• South East Inner City (5 seats)

Eligibility 

 (a) Every Irish citizen and every person ordinarily resident in the State, who has reached the age of 18, who is not subject to any of the disqualifications outlined in paragraph (b) below, is eligible for election;

(b) A person is disqualified for election to a local authority if he/she -

• is a member of the Commission of the European Communities, or
• is a member of the European Parliament, or
• is a Judge, Advocate General or Registrar of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, or
• is a member of the Court of Auditors of the European Communities, or
• is a member of Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann, or
• is appointed under the Constitution as a Judge or as the Comptroller and Auditor General, or
• is a member of the Garda Síochána, or
• is a full time member of the Defence Forces, or
• is a civil servant who is not by the terms of his or her employment expressly permitted to be a member of a local authority, or
• is a person employed by a local authority and is not the holder of a class, description or grade of employment designated by order under section 161(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 2001, or
• is a person employed by the Health Service Executive and is at a grade or of a description of employment designated by order of the Minister for Health and Children, or
• is undergoing a sentence of imprisonment for any term exceeding 6 months imposed by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State, or
• fails to pay any sum or any portion of any sum charged or surcharged by an auditor of the accounts of any local authority upon or against that person, or
• fails to comply with a final judgement, order or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction, for payment of money due to a local authority, or
• is convicted of, or has had a conviction confirmed on appeal for, an offence relating to fraudulent or dishonest dealings affecting a local authority or corrupt practice or acting when disqualified.

(Local Government Act 2001, as amended – sections 13 and 13A).
A person in any of the categories listed above is also disqualified from nomination for election (Local Government Act 2001 – section 2(4))

Nomination Process 

A candidate may be a nominee of a registered political party or may nominate himself or herself or may, with the candidate’s consent, be nominated by a proposer. A proposer must be registered as a local government elector in the local electoral area of the local authority for which he or she proposes to nominate the candidate. 

The period for receipt of nominations commences at 10 am on Saturday, 11th May 2024 and ends at 12 noon on Saturday, 18th May 2024. Nominations will be received in the Chief Executives Department, Block 4, Floor 4, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. Candidates can make an appointment to lodge their nomination papers with the Local Returning Officer through the online booking portal here

Candidates

All Candidates must submit a completed nomination form to the Returning Officer during the nomination acceptance period. Candidates must select one of the following options: 

A.        Certificate of Political Affiliation (Registered Party Candidates only)

Candidates must submit the following to the Returning Officer: 

•           Completed Nomination Paper LE1

•           Certificate of Political Affiliation* 

i.   Details of candidate should appear the same on this form as appears on the Nomination Form. 

ii.   Certificate to be signed by Authorised Officer/s of the Party

•           Photographs (as outlined hereunder)

*The official form must be completed. A letter from the relevant political party will not suffice. 

B.        Deposit (Non-Party Candidates)

A candidate may pay a deposit of €100 and submit the following to the Returning Officer: 

•           Completed Nomination Paper LE1 

•           Deposit of €100 (Legal Tender)

•           Photographs (as outlined hereunder)

Circumstances relating to the return of the deposit are included in the Regulations and will apply where the candidate is elected or is not elected but whose votes exceed one quarter of the quota.

C.        Assentor Statutory Declarations (15) (Non-Party Candidates only)

Candidates must submit the following to the Returning Officer: 

•           Completed Nomination Paper LE1 

•           Statutory Declaration Forms for each of the 15 Assentors**LE1A

•           Photographs (as outlined hereunder).

**Each Assentor must reside and be registered to vote in the local electoral area for which the candidate wishes to stand and may assent for one candidate only. The Candidate must contact the Franchise Section, Civic Offices, Wood Quay in person and submit the 15 completed Statutory Declarations for examination and verification by Carol McAuley, an official of the Registration Authority before presenting the nomination papers to the Returning Officer at Dublin City Council, Block 4 Floor 4, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8.

Photographs: 

Requirements on candidates for the provision of photographs for ballot papers are as follows:

1. One digitised photograph on a storage device shall be delivered with the nomination paper together with two identical printed copies (passport size – 35mm x 45 mm).  Each copy of the printed photograph must have the candidate’s name clearly shown on the back.

1. The photograph must be of good quality and in colour showing the candidate’s full face, head and shoulders only, on a light background (any colour) and taken to a professional standard. (This photograph will be used on the ballot paper and it is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that a good quality photograph is submitted). 

1. Photographs presented must have been taken within 12 months prior to Polling Day.

Note: Candidates from the same political party presenting to the Returning Officer at the same appointment may have their photographs on the same storage device, but note that the photographs should be clearly identifiable to a named candidate as it appears on their respective nomination forms. 

NB: Candidates not known to the Returning Officer should bring evidence of identity, such as a Passport or Driving Licence when submitting nomination papers.

Expenditure & Donations 

Expenditure 

The Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999 provides for an expenditure and donations disclosure regime at local elections.  These guidelines are concerned with the statutory obligations for candidates, national agents, designated persons and persons unconnected to a political party or candidate (third parties) at the forthcoming local elections and are issued pursuant to section 18(6) of the Act.

Spending limits, first introduced for the 2009 local elections, were revised by the Local Government Reform Act 2014. The limit depends on the population of the local electoral area, as follows:

Population and Candidate Spending Limit 

Candidates nominated by a political party are deemed to automatically allocate 10% of their spending limit to the party’s national agent. For example, a party candidate with a limit of 15,350 euro would be deemed to automatically allocate 1,535 euro for use by the party. Their effective limit would therefore be 13,818 euro. The 10% figure can be varied upwards or downwards by written agreement between the candidate and national agent.

Election spending incurred during a period before the election must be reported to the local authority concerned and must be below the specified limit. The date of commencement of the spending period is set out in S.I. No. 135 of 2024 made by the Minister on 9th April 2024 and fixes the period as the 8th April 2024 to 7th June 2024.

Full details of the Guidelines for Candidates on the Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure, Spending Limits and Political Donation Accounts at the Local Elections on 7 June 2024 are available here (An Ghaeilge).

For the 2024 Local Elections candidates, national agents and designated persons of political parties, and third parties must submit to Dublin City Council a statement of all election expenses incurred, and a statutory declaration to the effect that to the best of their knowledge the statement is correct and that all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure its accuracy. Election spending incurred between April 8th, 2024 and polling day on June 7th 2024 (inclusive), must be included on the declaration form submitted.  For the 2024 local elections, spending limits will apply to electoral expenditure by candidates and political parties. Each candidate of a political party is deemed to automatically allocate 10% of the applicable spending limit to his or her political party.  The maximum expenditure that the national agent can incur is the aggregate of the amounts allocated by his or her party’s candidates (either by way of the 10% automatically allocated, or alternative amounts agreed in writing between the national agent and candidate). Full details of the National Agents and Designated Persons of Political Parties and Third Parties on the Disclosure of Election Expenditure, Spending Limits and Political Donation Accounts at the Local Elections on 7 June 2024 are available here(An Ghaeilge).

Donations

The following rules apply for donations:

• The maximum amount that can be accepted in the same calendar year by a member of a local authority or by a local election candidate from the same source is 1,000 euro.
• Details of donations which exceed 600 euro must be disclosed in a statement made to the local authority.
• A candidate or member of a local authority who receives a monetary donation that exceeds 100 euro must open and maintain a political donations account in a financial institution.

Certain donations are restricted:

• It is prohibited to accept a donation from an anonymous source which exceeds 100 euro.
• Donations in cash which exceed 200 euro are also prohibited.

There are specific rules covering corporate donations which exceed 200 euro – the donor must be registered with the Standards in Public Office Commission and evidence that the donation was approved by the corporate body must be provided.

Postering Guidelines 

The legislation governing placement of posters at election time is The Litter Pollution Act 1997 as amended by the Electoral (Amendment)(No.2) Act 2009. The legislation provides that erection of posters is only permitted from the date the order is made by the Minister appointing the polling day or 30 days prior to the date of the poll, whichever is the shorter period. Thereafter posters must be removed within 7 days of the polling day. If posters are in place outside of these dates, fines will be issued by the City Council at the rate of €150 per poster. For the 2024 Local Elections the date that posters can be erected is Wednesday 8th May 2024 and must be removed by Friday 14th June 2024 (midnight). Full Election Postering Guidelines are available here.

Electoral Legislation

The Law relating to Local Elections is contained in the following:

• Local Elections Regulations 1995, as amended by the Electoral (Amendment Act 1996)
• Electoral Act 1997
• Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001
• Electoral Amendment Act 2002
• Local Government (No. 2) Act 2003
• Electoral Amendment Act 2006
• Electoral Amendment Act 2009
• Electoral (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I.75 of 2009)

In general these Acts provide for the conduct of Elections including nominations, postal voting, special voting, arrangements for the Poll, the taking of the poll, procedure and facilities for voting, counting of votes, rules for the counting of votes and electoral offences. Other relevant statutory provisions include the:

• Electoral Polling Scheme Regulations 2005(Polling Schemes)
• Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999 as amended by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2002 and the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009. 
• Local Elections (Petitions and Disqualifications) Act 1974
• Electoral Act 1992 as amended by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1996, the Electoral  Act 1997, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2002, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2006 and the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2007.
• Parts III & IV of the Local Government Act 2001
• The Local Government (No. 2) Act 2003
• Local Government Reform Act 2014 - amended elements of Parts III and IV of the Local Government Act 2001 and makes particular provision in Section 28 for the 2014 local elections.
• Electoral (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 76 of 2019)  – specify the documents that a voter may be required to produce at a polling station and as an assentor to the nomination of a non-party candidate to the person witnessing a statutory declaration (Sections 2(a) and (b)).

all of the above are available from www.oireachtas.ie

Contact Details:

Tel: 222 2277

Email: [email protected] 

Nominations of Candidates for the Dublin City Council Local Elections 2024