The Republic of Ireland is made up of 31 local authorities: 26 county councils, 3 city councils and 2 city and county councils.There is one directly elected mayor, the Mayor of Limerick. Apart from Limerick all other local councils must elect a leader from among themselves being known as a Mayor, Lord Mayor or Cathaoirleach (chairperson). Generally a coalition must be formed to elect this leader. In 4 councils, the leader rotates between the most powerful parties.
These councils are elected by universal suffrage using the single transferable vote every 5 years. The most recent of these elections was in 2024.
Councillors and control by party
| Party | Councillors | In coalition | Councils led | Assisting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | 248 / 949 | 22 / 27 | 20 / 27 | 2 / 27 |
| Fine Gael | 245 / 949 | 22 / 27 | 5 / 27 | 17 / 27 |
| Sinn Féin | 102 / 949 | 2 / 27 | 2 / 27 | |
| Labour | 56 / 949 | 8 / 27 | 8 / 27 | |
| Social Democrats | 35 / 949 | |||
| Greens | 23 / 949 | 4 / 27 | 4 / 27 | |
| Independent Ireland | 23 / 949 | |||
| PBP-Solidarity | 13 / 949 | |||
| Aontú | 8 / 949 | |||
| Wexford Ind. Alliance | 5 / 34 | |||
| 100% Redress | 4 / 949 | |||
| Irish Freedom | 1 / 949 | |||
| National Party | 1 / 949 | |||
| Inds. 4 Change | 1 / 949 | |||
| Right to Change | 1 / 949 | |||
| Workers and Unemployed | 1 / 949 | |||
| Kerry Ind. Alliance | 1 / 33 | |||
| Independent Left | 1 / 949 | |||
| Republican Sinn Féin | 1 / 949 | |||
| Independents | 178 / 949 | 12 / 27 | 12 / 27 |
Composition by Council
References
- Citizensinformation.ie. "Local government". www.citizensinformation.ie. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
- "Local government facts and figures: Ireland". LGiU. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
- "Local council elections". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2024-12-07.