European elections

Every five years EU citizens choose who represents them in the European Parliament, the directly-elected institution that defends their interests in the EU decision-making process. 

The next European elections will take place in 2024.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is responsible for the legislation dealing with the registration of electors and the conduct of elections and referendums in Ireland.

Every Irish citizen and every resident citizen of another EU Member State who is aged 18 years or over and whose name appears on the register of electors is entitled to vote.

European elections took place in Ireland on 24 May 2019. Voters elected 13 MEPs. Of the 13 elected, 11 MEPs took their seats on 2 July.  The remaining two MEPs took their seats on 1 February 2020 following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

You can find out the results of the 2019 European elections, including national breakdowns, on Parliament's dedicated website below.

This website also provides information on the composition of all outoing European Parliaments since 1984, breakdown by national parties and political groups since 1979 and all results at national level since 2009. 

First direct elections to the European Parliament took place in 1979.    Prior to that date from 1973, when Ireland joined the then EEC, Irish MEPs were nominated by the Dáil and Seanad.