F12[10.—(1) The State has local government areas in accordance with this section.

(2) The State stands divided into local government areas to be known as—

(a) counties,

(b) cities, and

(c) cities and counties,

(each of which shall be known as a county, a city or a city and county as provided for and set out in columns 1 of Parts 1, 2 and 3, respectively, of Schedule 5.

(3)(a) Subject to section 10 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 F13[and section 8 of the Local Government Act 2019], the boundaries of a county referred to in subsection (2) are the boundaries of the corresponding county as existing immediately before 1 January 2002.

(b) Subject to section 10 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 F13[and section 8 of the Local Government Act 2019], the boundaries of a city referred to in subsection (2) are the boundaries of the corresponding county borough as existing immediately before 1 January 2002.

(4) For the purposes of this section and subject to section 11(2) of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, all maps showing such boundaries prepared by the Chief Boundary Surveyor under the Survey (Ireland) Acts 1825 to 1870, or by the Commissioner of Valuation or otherwise in accordance with law continue to have all such force and effect as they had immediately before 1 January 2002.

(5) This section is without prejudice to—

(a) section 227,

F13[(aa) Part 2 of the Local Government Act 2019]

(b) Part V of the Local Government Act 1991, and

(c) Part 2 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014.

(6) This section is without prejudice to—

(a) the continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before 1 January 2002 and is not otherwise inconsistent with this Act,

(b) the continued use of the description city in relation to Limerick and to Waterford, to the extent that each of those descriptions was used before the 2014 establishment day and is not otherwise inconsistent with this Act.]