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The 31st Dáil was elected at the 2011 general election on 25 February 2011 and first met at midday on 9 March 2011 in Leinster House.[1] The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland, are known as TDs. It sat with the 24th Seanad as the two Houses of the Oireachtas.
| 31st Dáil | |||||||||||||
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| Overview | |||||||||||||
| Legislative body | Dáil Éireann | ||||||||||||
| Jurisdiction | Ireland | ||||||||||||
| Meeting place | Leinster House | ||||||||||||
| Term | 9 March 2011 – 3 February 2016 | ||||||||||||
| Election | 2011 general election | ||||||||||||
| Government | 29th government of Ireland | ||||||||||||
| Members | 166 | ||||||||||||
| Ceann Comhairle | Seán Barrett | ||||||||||||
| Leas-Cheann Comhairle | Michael P. Kitt | ||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny | ||||||||||||
| Tánaiste | Joan Burton — Eamon Gilmore until 4 July 2014 | ||||||||||||
| Chief Whip | Paul Kehoe | ||||||||||||
| Leader of the Opposition | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||
| Sessions | |||||||||||||
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The 2011 election saw 17 Dáil constituencies return 3 TDs each, 15 constituencies return 4 TDs each and 11 constituencies return 5 TDs each, for a total of 166. Seán Barrett was elected as Ceann Comhairle in the first sitting of the Dáil.[2] For the first time, Fine Gael, led by Enda Kenny, became the largest party. It formed a coalition government with the Labour Party, led by Eamon Gilmore, who had achieved their highest number of seats in the party's history. In July 2014, Joan Burton won a Labour Party leadership election to become the leader of the Labour Party and Tánaiste.
Fianna Fáil secured 20 seats, the lowest in the party's history, and was the largest opposition party. The leader of the party, Micheál Martin became the Leader of the Opposition. Gerry Adams as leader of Sinn Féin became the second opposition leader. A technical group was formed following the election composed of 16 independent politicians and members of the United Left Alliance, who failed to win enough seats to gain speaking rights.[3]
Almost half of the members of the 30th Dáil were absent from the 31st: 31 members retired before the poll and a further 45 TDs lost their seats at the election. 76 new TDs were elected to the Dáil, 46% of the total.[4]
The 31st Dáil was dissolved by President Michael D. Higgins on 3 February 2016, at the request of the Taoiseach Enda Kenny.[5] The 31st Dáil lasted 1,793 days.
| Party | Feb. 2011 | Jan. 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ● | Fine Gael | 76 | 66 |
| ● | Labour | 37 | 33 |
| Fianna Fáil | 20 | 21 | |
| Sinn Féin | 14 | 14 | |
| Socialist Party | 2 | — | |
| People Before Profit | 2 | — | |
| Workers and Unemployed | 1 | 1 | |
| Independent | 14 | 19 | |
| Ceann Comhairle | — | 1 | |
| AAA–PBP | — | 4 | |
| Renua | — | 3 | |
| Social Democrats | — | 3 | |
| Vacant | — | 1 | |
| Total | 166 | ||
Government coalition parties are denoted with bullets (●)
Graphical representation
The following illustrates the composition of the 31st Dáil at the time of its first sitting on 9 March 2011 (after Seán Barrett (Fine Gael) took office as Ceann Comhairle). This is not the official seating plan. The government parties sit to the left of the Ceann Comhairle and opposition parties sit to the right.
The following illustrates the composition at the time of its dissolution in February 2016.
- Fianna Fáil
- Sinn Féin
- Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit
- Renua
- Social Democrats
- Workers and Unemployed Action Group (later Workers and Unemployed Action)
- Independent
- Vacant seat
- Note
The Socialist Party, People Before Profit Alliance, Workers and Unemployed Action Group and some Independent TDs sat together as a technical group, which was later joined by Renua and the Social Democrats.
On 9 March 2011, Seán Barrett (FG) was proposed by Enda Kenny for the position of Ceann Comhairle. He was approved without a vote.[6]
- Leas-Cheann Comhairle: Michael Kitt (Fianna Fáil)
Government
Opposition
Committees
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Andrew Doyle (Fine Gael)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pat Deering (Fine Gael)
- Chairwoman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection: Joanna Tuffy (Labour Party)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection: Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour Party)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Michael McCarthy (Labour Party)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Noel Coonan (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs: Dominic Hannigan (Labour Party)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs: Dara Murphy (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Ciarán Lynch (Labour Party)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Pat Breen (Fine Gael)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Bernard Durkan (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children: Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children: Ciara Conway (Labour Party)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee of Inquiry: Ciarán Lynch (Labour Party)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Féin)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Derek Nolan (Labour Party)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Damien English (Fine Gael)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: John Lyons (Labour Party)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Select Committee on Members' Interests of Dáil Éireann: Thomas Pringle (Independent)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Select Committee on Procedure and Privileges (Dáil): Seán Barrett (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Sub-Committee on Administration: Joe Carey (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform: Paul Kehoe (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Privileges: Emmet Stagg (Labour Party)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee: John McGuinness (Fianna Fáil)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee: Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications: John O'Mahony (Fine Gael)
- Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications: Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)
- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Standing Orders (Private Business): Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fáil) – Senator
This is a list of TDs elected to Dáil Éireann in the 2011 general election, sorted by party.[7] Note this table is a record of the 2011 general election results. The Changes table below records all changes in party affiliation.
^ +: Elected for the first time at the 2011 general election.
^ §: Returned automatically without standing for election as outgoing Ceann Comhairle, in accordance with Article 16.6 of the Constitution of Ireland.[8]
- Notes
- Members of the Socialist Party, the People Before Profit and Workers and Unemployed Action campaigned together under the banner of the United Left Alliance (ULA), but only their individual party names appeared on the ballot paper.
| Date | Constituency | Loss | Gain | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 March 2011 | Dún Laoghaire | Fine Gael | Ceann Comhairle | Seán Barrett is elected as Ceann Comhairle.[6] | ||
| 10 June 2011 | Dublin West | Fianna Fáil | Death of Brian Lenihan.[9] | |||
| 7 July 2011 | Roscommon–South Leitrim | Fine Gael | Independent | Denis Naughten loses the Fine Gael party whip for opposing closure of Roscommon County Hospital emergency department.[10] | ||
| 29 October 2011 | Dublin West | Labour | Patrick Nulty wins the Dublin West by-election, taking the seat vacated by the death of Brian Lenihan.[11] | |||
| 15 November 2011 | Longford–Westmeath | Labour | Independent | Willie Penrose resigns the Labour Party whip over the closure of an army barracks.[12] | ||
| 1 December 2011 | Dublin North-East | Labour | Independent | Tommy Broughan loses the Labour Party whip after voting against the Government on a vote relating to the Bank Guarantee Scheme.[13] | ||
| 6 December 2011 | Dublin West | Labour | Independent | Patrick Nulty loses the Labour Party whip after voting against the VAT increase in the 2012 budget.[14] | ||
| 31 August 2012 | Dublin North | Socialist Party | Independent | Clare Daly resigns from the Socialist Party.[15] | ||
| 26 September 2012 | Dublin North-West | Labour | Independent | Róisín Shortall resigns as Minister of State for Primary Care and the Labour Party whip.[16] | ||
| 13 December 2012 | Galway East | Labour | Independent | Colm Keaveney loses the Labour Party whip after voting against part of the 2013 budget.[17] | ||
| 21 December 2012 | Meath East | Fine Gael | Death of Shane McEntee.[18] | |||
| 27 March 2013 | Meath East | Fine Gael | Helen McEntee wins the Meath East by-election, taking the seat vacated by the death of Shane McEntee.[19] | |||
| 25 April 2013 | Dublin South-Central | People Before Profit | Independent | Joan Collins leaves the People Before Profit Alliance and forms the United Left, while remaining an independent TD.[20] | ||
| 2 July 2013 | Dublin South | Fine Gael | Independent | Peter Mathews loses the Fine Gael party whip for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[21] | ||
| 2 July 2013 | Wicklow | Fine Gael | Independent | Billy Timmins loses the Fine Gael party whip for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[21] | ||
| 2 July 2013 | Galway West | Fine Gael | Independent | Brian Walsh loses the Fine Gael party whip for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[21] | ||
| 2 July 2013 | Dublin North-East | Fine Gael | Independent | Terence Flanagan loses the Fine Gael party whip for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[21] | ||
| 11 July 2013 | Dublin South-East | Fine Gael | Independent | Lucinda Creighton loses the Fine Gael party whip for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[22] | ||
| 12 July 2013 | Meath West | Sinn Féin | Independent | Peadar Tóibín is suspended from the Sinn Féin parliamentary party for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[23] | ||
| 7 October 2013 | Longford–Westmeath | Independent | Labour | Willie Penrose rejoins the parliamentary Labour Party.[24] | ||
| 3 December 2013 | Galway East | Independent | Fianna Fáil | Colm Keaveney joins Fianna Fáil.[25] | ||
| 12 January 2014 | Meath West | Independent | Sinn Féin | Peadar Tóibín rejoins the Sinn Féin parliamentary party after a six month suspension for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013. | ||
| 22 March 2014 | Dublin West | Independent | Resignation of Patrick Nulty.[26] | |||
| 25 March 2014 | Longford–Westmeath | Fine Gael | Death of Nicky McFadden.[27] | |||
| 30 April 2014 | Galway West | Independent | Fine Gael | Brian Walsh rejoins the Fine Gael parliamentary party.[28] | ||
| 23 May 2014 | Dublin West | Socialist Party | Ruth Coppinger wins the Dublin West by-election, taking the seat vacated by the resignation of Patrick Nulty.[29] | |||
| 23 May 2014 | Longford–Westmeath | Fine Gael | Gabrielle McFadden wins the Longford–Westmeath by-election, taking the seat vacated by the death of Nicky McFadden. | |||
| 26 May 2014 | Roscommon–South Leitrim | Independent | Resignation of Luke 'Ming' Flanagan after election to the European Parliament.[30] | |||
| 26 May 2014 | Dublin South-West | Fine Gael | Resignation of Brian Hayes after election to the European Parliament.[31] | |||
| 11 October 2014 | Dublin South-West | Anti-Austerity Alliance | Paul Murphy takes the seat vacated by the resignation of Brian Hayes.[32] | |||
| 11 October 2014 | Roscommon–South Leitrim | Independent | Michael Fitzmaurice wins the Roscommon–South Leitrim by-election, taking the seat vacated by the resignation of Luke 'Ming' Flanagan.[33] | |||
| 30 October 2014 | Carlow–Kilkenny | Fine Gael | Resignation of Phil Hogan upon appointment to the European Commission.[34] | |||
| 10 February 2015 | Wicklow | Labour | Independent | Anne Ferris loses the Labour Party whip for voting in favour of providing for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. | ||
| 13 March 2015 | Dublin South-East | Independent | Renua | Lucinda Creighton joins Renua on its foundation.[35] | ||
| 13 March 2015 | Wicklow | Independent | Renua | Billy Timmins joins Renua on its foundation.[35] | ||
| 13 March 2015 | Dublin North-East | Independent | Renua | Terence Flanagan joins Renua on its foundation.[35] | ||
| 23 May 2015 | Carlow–Kilkenny | Fianna Fáil | Bobby Aylward wins the Carlow–Kilkenny by-election, taking the seat vacated by the resignation of Phil Hogan.[36] | |||
| 29 May 2015 | Clare | Labour | Independent | Michael McNamara loses the Labour Party whip for voting against the sale of the State's stake in Aer Lingus.[37] | ||
| 15 July 2015 | Wicklow | Independent | Social Democrats | Stephen Donnelly joins the Social Democrats on its foundation.[38] | ||
| 15 July 2015 | Kildare North | Independent | Social Democrats | Catherine Murphy joins the Social Democrats on its foundation.[38] | ||
| 15 July 2015 | Dublin North-West | Independent | Social Democrats | Róisín Shortall joins the Social Democrats on its foundation.[38] | ||
| 16 July 2015 | Wicklow | Independent | Labour | Anne Ferris rejoins the parliamentary Labour Party.[39] | ||
| 16 September 2015 | Clare | Independent | Labour | Michael McNamara rejoins the parliamentary Labour Party.[40] | ||
| 26 September 2015 | Dublin South-West | Labour | Independent | Eamonn Maloney resigns from the Labour Party.[41] | ||
| 24 November 2015 | Cavan–Monaghan | Fine Gael | Independent | Seán Conlan resigns from Fine Gael.[42] | ||
| 14 January 2016 | Galway West | Fine Gael | Resignation of Brian Walsh due to health concerns.[43] | |||
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