It elected 3 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

From 2004 to 2009, it comprised the Leinster counties excluding the Dublin constituency.

For the 2009 election, the counties of Longford and Westmeath were transferred from East to the North-West constituency.

It then comprised the counties Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Wexford and Wicklow.

[1] For the 2014 European Parliament election the constituency was abolished, with the northern part (Kildare, Laois, Louth, Meath, Offaly) transferred to the new Midlands–North-West constituency, and the southern part (Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow) transferred to the South constituency.