Ireland Unitary state
The Republic of Ireland is a unitary state in Western Europe, occupying most of the island of the Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of 4,774,800 (2017).
It is subdivided into two levels of local government: the first tier consists of municipal districts, cities and counties, while regions make up the second tier.
Municipal and county authorities cover the country’s entire surface area and population, and are considered the primary units of local government in the Republic of Ireland.
The 2014 Local Government Reform Act legally enshrined a major programme of reforms, touching on the structure, functions, funding, governance and operational arrangements of local authorities, and reduced the number of local authorities, strictly speaking, from 114 to 31.
It is subdivided into two levels of local government: the first tier consists of municipal districts, cities and counties, while regions make up the second tier.
Municipal and county authorities cover the country’s entire surface area and population, and are considered the primary units of local government in the Republic of Ireland.
The 2014 Local Government Reform Act legally enshrined a major programme of reforms, touching on the structure, functions, funding, governance and operational arrangements of local authorities, and reduced the number of local authorities, strictly speaking, from 114 to 31.
Markers
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STATE STRUCTURE: Unitary |
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CURRENCY: Euro (EUR) |
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VOTE Non-compulsory |
11 |
SEATS AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT |
Ratification of the European Charter
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129 |
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS (IN 2016) |
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CAPITAL CITY:
Dublin |
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POPULATION:
4 774 800 |
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GEOGRAPHICAL SIZE:
69 797 km2 |
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MEMBER STATE
EU since 1973Council of Europe since 1949 |
9 |
SEATS AT THE COMMITTEE OF REGIONS |
2 |
LEVELS OF SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS |
Evolution
NUMBER OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES*
* Dates of CEMR publications