Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 7th February, 2014.

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 4 and 23 of the Local Government Act 2001 (No. 37 of 2001) and having regard to section 28 (1)(d) of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1 of 2014) hereby orders as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the County of Laois Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2014.

2. (1) The County of Laois shall be divided into the local electoral areas which are named in the first column of the Schedule to this Order.

(2) Each such local electoral area shall consist of the area described in the second column of the Schedule to this Order opposite the name of such local electoral area.

(3) The number of members of Laois County Council to be elected for each such local electoral area shall be the number set out in the third column of the Schedule to this Order opposite the name of that local electoral area.

3. Every reference in the Schedule to this Order to an electoral division shall be construed as referring to such electoral division as existing at the date of this Order.

4. The County of Laois shall have the following municipal districts for the purposes of section 22A (inserted by the Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1 of 2014)) of the Local Government Act 2001 (No. 37 of 2001):

(a) the Municipal District of Borris-in-Ossory - Mountmellick consisting of the Local Electoral Area of Borris-in-Ossory - Mountmellick;

(b) the Municipal District of Graiguecullen - Portarlington consisting of the Local Electoral Area of Graiguecullen - Portarlington;

(c) the Municipal District of Portlaoise consisting of the Local Electoral Area of Portlaoise.

5. The County of Laois Local Electoral Areas Order 2008 ( S.I. No. 444 of 2008 ) is revoked.

Schedule

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government,

31 January 2014.

PHIL HOGAN,

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

The effect of this Order is to amend the division of County Laois into local electoral areas, to fix the number of members of Laois County Council to be elected for each such area and to determine the municipal districts for County Laois.