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There are 60 seats in Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (the legislature of Ireland). Its composition is set out in Article 18 of the Constitution of Ireland. This provides for 11 senators to be nominated by the Taoiseach who is appointed next after the general election to Dáil Éireann (Ireland's house of representatives).[1]
| Taoiseach's Nominees | |
|---|---|
| Seanad Éireann constituency | |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1938 |
| Seats | 11 |
| Senators | |
These nominations allow the government to reach a majority in the Seanad, for smaller parties in coalition or supporting the government to achieve more significant Seanad representation, and for the appointment of Independent members to represent particular interests. Those in the last category have included representatives from Northern Ireland; Billy Lawless, a resident of Chicago, nominated by Enda Kenny in 2016 to represent the interest of the Irish diaspora; and Eileen Flynn, nominated by Micheál Martin in 2020, the first Traveller to sit in the Oireachtas.
As the outgoing Seanad continues in session after a general election to the Dáil, it is common for the outgoing Taoiseach to appoint Senators to fill the vacancies left by any nominees who were elected to the Dáil for the short period until the conclusion of the Seanad election.
Of the remaining 49 senators, six are elected by university graduates (3 for the National University and 3 for Dublin University), and 43 are elected across 5 vocational panels by Oireachtas members and city and county councillors.
Changes
- Douglas Hyde was elected as President of Ireland on 4 May 1938.[2]
- Peadar Mac Fhionnlaoich died on 1 July 1942.
- William Magennis died on 30 March 1946.
- Maurice Moore died on 8 September 1939.
- Patrick Keohane was nominated in place of Douglas Hyde[3]
- Patrick Keohane died on 4 December 1939.
- Pádraic Ó Máille died on 19 January 1946.
- James Douglas died on 16 September 1954.
- Seán Moylan died on 16 November 1957.
- Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha died on 19 November 1964.
- Margaret Mary Pearse died on 7 November 1968.[4]
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 16 June 1977.
- Brendan Halligan was elected to Dáil Éireann at a by-election on 10 June 1976.
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 11 June 1981.
- Michael Yeats resigned on 12 March 1980.
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 24 November 1982.
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 17 February 1987.
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 15 June 1989.
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 25 November 1992.
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 6 June 1997.
- Brian Hillery was appointed to the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, resigned from Seanad on 4 May 1994.
- Gordon Wilson died on 27 June 1995.[5]
- Tom Fitzgerald resigned from the Seanad on 4 April 2002.[6]
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 17 May 2002.
- Helen Keogh joined Fine Gael on 14 June 2000.
- Elected to Dáil Éireann on 24 May 2007.
- Michael Brennan joined the Progressive Democrats on 29 April 2004.
- Kate Walsh died on 24 April 2007.[7]
- Ivor Callely resigned the Fianna Fáil whip on 5 June 2010[8] and resigned from Fianna Fáil on 24 August 2010.[9]
- Ciarán Cannon joined Fine Gael on 24 March 2009; elected to Dáil Éireann on 25 February 2011.[10]
- Déirdre de Búrca resigned on 12 February 2010.[11]
- Fiona O'Malley sat as an Independent from dissolution of the Progressive Democrats in December 2009.
- Darragh O'Brien was nominated to seat vacated by Ciarán Cannon.[12]
- Eamonn Coghlan took the Fine Gael whip on 7 February 2012.
- Martin McAleese resigned on 4 February 2013.[13]
- Katherine Zappone was elected to Dáil Éireann on 26 February 2016.
- Hildegarde Naughton was nominated on 19 July 2013 to fill vacancy left by Martin McAleese.[14]
- Frank Feighan was elected to Dáil Éireann on 8 February 2020.[15]
- Seán Kyne was nominated to the seat vacated by Frank Feighan.[16]
- Regina Doherty resigned following her election to the European Parliament.[17]
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