Carlow Local Authorities are committed to the provision of
high quality relevant services in an open and responsive
manner.
Phone: 059 9170300
Councillors and Local Eelctions
The members of each local authority in Ireland are all called Councillors. ( For example, County Councillor, City Councillor, Town Councillor as appropriate ). The number of members of each local authority is fixed by law. Councillors are directly elected in local elections by members of the local community. The number of Councillors elected to each local authority depends on the population of the local authority area.
Councillor Term of Office
Elected members ( Councillors ) come into office seven days after polling day. Each member holds office for five years, that is until seven days after the polling day at the next local elections. These Local Elections are by law held in the month of May or June on a day fixed by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Each elected member is expected to regularly attend meetings of the full council and the local authority committees of which they are members, although it may occasionally be the case that members may not be able to fulfil their obligations, for example, due to ill-health.
A Councillor may resign by delivering a notice in writing. They are deemed to have resigned if he or she does not attend a Council meeting for 6 consecutive months ( unless he or she was ill or there was some other good reason ).
However, before the expiry of this period a local authority may by resolution grant an extension for a further six months where the absence is due to illness or occurs in good faith due to other reasons. Only one further subsequent such extension may be granted, subject to a maximum period of eighteen months continuous absence.
If a Councillor dies, resigns or becomes disqualified from being a member of the Council, the vacancy is filled by co-option. The political party who originally nominated the member who caused the vacancy nominates a new member and the Council then passes a resolution to appoint the new member.
How to become a Councillor
In order to become a member of a local authority in Ireland, you must be elected by the people in your local area. Before you are elected, you must be nominated for election.
Further information regarding membership of, and contact information for members of your local authority, is available directly from your local authority.
2009 Elections Return of Persons Elected
2009 Constituency Count Results