CSO Local Authority and NUTS Regions classification

Introduction

The CSO Standard NUTS Regions and Local Authority (2019) Classification is a hierarchical classification which nests local authority areas within regions defined in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), which is the overarching framework for regional and territorial statistics in the European Statistical System. This classification incorporates the changes in Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/2066 of 21 November 2016 amending the annexes to Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) NUTS16 along with changes to local authority areas set out in the Local Government Act 2019. 

Local Authorities (often referred to as city or county councils, or administrative counties) provide the basic units for local administration in Ireland. While the boundaries of these are often coterminous with the historical counties in Ireland, there are currently 31 local authority areas in Ireland versus only 26 counties.

Use of any geographical classification requires an understanding of the changing makeup of these to ensure the appropriate iteration, with associated breakdowns, is applied at the particular points in time.

County councils and borough councils were created in Ireland under the 1898 Local Government Act. The 2001 Local Government Act renamed borough councils to city councils. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 provided for the creation (by amalgamation) of the City & County Councils of Limerick and Waterford and the amalgamation of North Tipperary and South Tipperary county councils. The Local Government Act 2019 provided the legislative basis for the expansion of the administrative area of Cork City Council, which came into effect on 31 May 2019 with the amalgamation of areas of Cork County Council into the administrative area of Cork City Council. The country is currently divided into 31 local authorities.

This classification is valid from 31 May 2019. The classification is provided in English and Irish.

Classification Structure

This Classification is made up of 43 Categories:

1 X 3 Digit Code State/Ireland
3 X 4 Digit Codes NUTS2 Regions
8 X 5 Digit Codes NUTS3 Regions
31 X 4 Digit Codes Individual Local Authority Areas