25th Seanad
25th Seanad | |||||||||||
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Overview | |||||||||||
Legislative body | Seanad Éireann | ||||||||||
Jurisdiction | Ireland | ||||||||||
Meeting place | Leinster House | ||||||||||
Term | 8 June 2016 – 27 March 2020 | ||||||||||
Government |
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Members | 60 | ||||||||||
Cathaoirleach | Denis O'Donovan | ||||||||||
Leas-Chathaoirleach | Paul Coghlan | ||||||||||
Leader of the Seanad | Jerry Buttimer | ||||||||||
Deputy leader of the Seanad | Catherine Noone | ||||||||||
Leader of the Opposition | Catherine Ardagh | ||||||||||
Sessions | |||||||||||
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The 25th Seanad was in office from 2016 to 2020. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 2016 general election to the 32nd Dáil on 26 February. There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels by serving politicians, for which polling closed on 25 April; 6 were elected in two university constituencies, for which polling closed on 26 April; and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach (Enda Kenny) on 27 May 2016. It remained in office until the close of poll for the 26th Seanad in March 2020.
Electoral system
There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 Senators are elected by the Vocational panels, 6 elected by the two University constituencies, and 11 are nominated by the Taoiseach. Three seats are elected by graduates of the National University of Ireland and three seats are elected by graduates and scholars of the Dublin University.
Article 18.8 of the Constitution requires that an election for Seanad Éireann must take place not later than 90 days after a dissolution of the Dáil. On 9 February, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly signed the orders for the Seanad election.
Nominations for the 43 vocational panel seats closed at noon on 21 March 2016 and the full list of panel nominees was published in Iris Oifigiúil on 1 April 2016.[1] Polls for these two university constituencies closed at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday 26 April 2016.
Forty-three vocational panel seats are filled by an electorate of public representatives, comprising the incoming 32nd Dáil, the outgoing 24th Seanad, and members of city and county councils, each of whom has one vote in each of the five panels. The total electorate was 1,155.[2][3] Polling closed at 11 a.m. on Monday 25 April 2016, with the count beginning immediately afterwards. A total of 1,124 of the electorate voted.[3] Each panel is subdivided into an Oireachtas ("inside") subpanel and Nominating Bodies ("outside") subpanel, and a portion of seats must be filled from each subpanel; John Dolan was elected despite having fewer votes than Tom Sheahan and Thomas Welby when they were eliminated, because they were on the inside panel and all remaining seats were reserved for the outside panel.[4][5]
Taoiseach Enda Kenny nominated 11 senators on 27 May 2016.[6]
The 25th Seanad first met at Leinster House on 8 June 2016 when Denis O'Donovan was elected as the new Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.[7]
The Government of the 32nd Dáil was a minority government of Fine Gael and several independent TDs, supported by Fianna Fáil. Similarly, Fine Gael did not hold a majority in the Seanad: and even if all 20 Fine Gael Senators voted in favour of a motion, and all 14 Fianna Fáil Senators abstained, four more votes from independent or opposition Senators were required to pass a motion. There were several very close votes and defeats.[8] This was unusual, as the Senators nominated by the Taoiseach usually give the Government a majority.[9][10][11]
Composition of the 25th Seanad
Origin Party | Vocational panels | NUI[12] | DU | Nominated | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Admin[5] | Agri[13] | Cult & Educ[14] | Ind & Comm[15] | Labour[16] | |||||||
● | Fine Gael | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 19 | |
C | Fianna Fáil | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |
Sinn Féin | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
Labour Party | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
Green Party | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 14 | ||
Total | 7 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 60 |
Government party denoted with bullet (●).
Party giving confidence and supply denoted by C.
Technical groups
The minimum parliamentary group size is five Senators, a threshold met by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, and the following three technical groups.[17] Apart from the Cathaoirleach, independent Marie-Louise O'Donnell was the only senator not a member of any group.[18]
- Independent group (9)
Party | Name | Constituency | |
---|---|---|---|
Independent (9) | Victor Boyhan | Agricultural Panel | |
Gerard Craughwell | Labour Panel | ||
Joan Freeman | Nominated by the Taoiseach | ||
Billy Lawless | Nominated by the Taoiseach | ||
Ian Marshall | Agricultural Panel | ||
Michael McDowell | National University | ||
Rónán Mullen | National University | ||
Pádraig Ó Céidigh | Nominated by the Taoiseach | ||
Brian Ó Domhnaill | Agricultural Panel |
All were independents, although not all independent senators were members of the group.
- Civil Engagement group (5)
Party | Name | Constituency | |
---|---|---|---|
Independent (5) | Frances Black | Industrial and Commercial Panel | |
John Dolan | Administrative Panel | ||
Alice-Mary Higgins | National University | ||
Colette Kelleher | Nominated by the Taoiseach | ||
Lynn Ruane | Dublin University |
All members of the Civil Engagement group were first-time Oireachtas members and independents. This group included Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) until her election to the European Parliament in May 2019.
- Technical group (5)
Party | Name | Constituency | |
---|---|---|---|
Labour Party (4) | Ivana Bacik | Dublin University | |
Kevin Humphreys | Administrative Panel | ||
Ged Nash | Labour Panel | ||
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin | Industrial and Commercial Panel | ||
Independent (1) | David Norris | Dublin University |
All were in Labour except for independent Norris. Labour formed a party group until the retirement of Denis Landy left it below the five-senator threshold. It first formed a technical group with Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, who had resigned from Sinn Féin.[19] When Ó Clochartaigh resigned from the Seanad, Labour recruited Norris,[20] who had left the Independent group shortly after the 2016 election.[21]
List of senators
- Note: The entries for Senators who were elected or appointed to fill vacancies are shown in italics
Name | Panel | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Martin Conway | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Mark Daly | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
John Dolan | Administrative Panel | Independent | Member of the Civil Engagement group | |
Maura Hopkins | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Kevin Humphreys | Administrative Panel | Labour | ||
Niall Ó Donnghaile | Administrative Panel | Sinn Féin | ||
Diarmuid Wilson | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Victor Boyhan | Agricultural Panel | Independent | Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Paddy Burke | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Maria Byrne | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Rose Conway-Walsh | Agricultural Panel | Sinn Féin | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Paul Daly | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Denis Landy | Agricultural Panel | Labour | Resigned from the Seanad on 28 November 2017[22] | |
Tim Lombard | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh | Agricultural Panel | Sinn Féin | Resigned from Sinn Féin on 30 November 2017; Resigned from the Seanad on 5 February 2018 | |
Brian Ó Domhnaill | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Resigned from Fianna Fáil in December 2016.[23] Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Denis O'Donovan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Cathaoirleach | |
Grace O'Sullivan | Agricultural Panel | Green | Member of the Civil Engagement group. Elected to the European Parliament in May 2019. | |
Ian Marshall | Agricultural Panel | Ind. Unionist | Elected in a by-election on 27 April 2018, replacing Denis Landy.[24] Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Anthony Lawlor | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Elected in a by-election on 27 April 2018, replacing Trevor Ó Clochartaigh[24] | |
Pippa Hackett | Agricultural Panel | Green | Elected in a by-election on 1 November 2019, replacing Grace O'Sullivan | |
Lorraine Clifford-Lee | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Gabrielle McFadden | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Kieran O'Donnell | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Keith Swanick | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Fintan Warfield | Cultural and Educational Panel | Sinn Féin | ||
Catherine Ardagh | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Frances Black | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | Member of the Civil Engagement group | |
Colm Burke | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Paul Coghlan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Aidan Davitt | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Gerry Horkan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Sinn Féin | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Catherine Noone | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Jerry Buttimer | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | Leader of the Seanad | |
Gerard Craughwell | Labour Panel | Independent | Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Máire Devine | Labour Panel | Sinn Féin | ||
Robbie Gallagher | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Paul Gavan | Labour Panel | Sinn Féin | ||
Terry Leyden | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Ged Nash | Labour Panel | Labour | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Joe O'Reilly | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | ||
Ned O'Sullivan | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | ||
Neale Richmond | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Alice-Mary Higgins | National University of Ireland | Independent | Member of the Civil Engagement group | |
Michael McDowell | National University of Ireland | Independent | Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Rónán Mullen | National University of Ireland | Independent | Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Ivana Bacik | Dublin University | Labour | ||
David Norris | Dublin University | Independent | Member of the Labour Technical Group | |
Lynn Ruane | Dublin University | Independent | Member of the Civil Engagement group | |
Ray Butler | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | ||
Paudie Coffey | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | ||
Frank Feighan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | Elected to Dáil at the 2020 general election | |
Joan Freeman | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Colette Kelleher | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | Member of the Civil Engagement group | |
Billy Lawless | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Michelle Mulherin | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | ||
Pádraig Ó Céidigh | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | Member of the Seanad Independent Group | |
Marie-Louise O'Donnell | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | ||
John O'Mahony | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | ||
James Reilly | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | ||
Seán Kyne | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | Nominated on 20 February 2020 to fill vacancy |
Changes
Date | Panel | Loss | Gain | Note | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 December 2016 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Independent | Brian Ó Domhnaill resigns from Fianna Fáil | ||
28 November 2017 | Agricultural Panel | Labour | Denis Landy resigns from the Seanad[22] | |||
30 November 2017 | Agricultural Panel | Sinn Féin | Independent | Trevor Ó Clochartaigh resigns from Sinn Féin | ||
5 February 2018 | Agricultural Panel | Independent | Trevor Ó Clochartaigh resigns from the Seanad | |||
27 April 2018 | Agricultural Panel | Ind. Unionist | Ian Marshall elected in a by-election.[24] | |||
27 April 2018 | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Anthony Lawlor elected in a by-election.[24] | |||
26 June 2018 | National University of Ireland | Independent | Human Dignity Alliance | Rónán Mullen founds the Human Dignity Alliance. | ||
1 July 2019 | Agricultural Panel | Green | Grace O'Sullivan elected to the European Parliament in May 2019. | |||
1 November 2019 | Agricultural Panel | Green | Pippa Hackett elected unopposed in a by-election. | |||
8 February 2020 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | Colm Burke elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Agricultural Panel | Sinn Féin | Rose Conway-Walsh elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | Frank Feighan elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Sinn Féin | Pádraig Mac Lochlainn elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | Jennifer Murnane O'Connor elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Labour Panel | Labour | Ged Nash elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Aodhán Ó Ríordáin elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | Kieran O'Donnell elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
8 February 2020 | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | Neale Richmond elected to the 33rd Dáil. | |||
20 February 2020 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | Seán Kyne nominated to fill vacancy, replacing Frank Feighan. |
References
- ^ "Panels of candidates prepared by the Seanad Returning Officer pursuant to Section 43 of the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947, as amended by the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1954" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil (27B). 1 April 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ "Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Acts 1947 and 1954: Electoral roll" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil (27A). 1 April 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ a b O'Halloran, Marie (26 April 2016). "Sinn Féin candidates top Seanad poll on Agriculture panel". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
the small electorate of 1,155. A total of 1,124 of the electorate voted ... Those entitled to vote on the vocational panels are the 158 new TDs, 53 of the 60 outgoing Senators (as seven were elected to the Dáil in the recent election) and 941 city and county councillors.
- ^ O'Halloran, Marie (28 April 2016). "Fine Gael transfers help Labour win four Seanad seats". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ a b "Administrative Panel Full Results". seanadcount.ie. Oireachtas. April 2016. Archived from the original (Microsoft Excel) on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Taoiseach's nominees to Seanad Éireann". 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "Jury is out on delivery of a new and improved Seanad". independent. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ O'Regan, Michael. "Government Seanad defeat as FF abstain in Higgins trade motion". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Coyne, Ellen. "Abortion forum scrapes through Seanad". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "Lively new Seanad not part of government deal". Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "Seanad can hold balance of power in a minority Government, claims Norris - Independent.ie". Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "National University of Ireland Elections Page". NUI. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ "Agricultural Panel Full Results". seanadcount.ie. Oireachtas. April 2016. Archived from the original (Microsoft Excel) on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Cultural and Educational Panel Full Results". seanadcount.ie. Oireachtas. April 2016. Archived from the original (Microsoft Excel) on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Industrial and Commercial Panel Full Results". seanadcount.ie. Oireachtas. April 2016. Archived from the original (Microsoft Excel) on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Labour Panel Full Results". seanadcount.ie. Oireachtas. April 2016. Archived from the original (Microsoft Excel) on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Seanad Éireann - Standing Orders relative to Public Business" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. 20 June 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ O'Donnell, Marie Louise (21 March 2018). "Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2016: Committee Stage". Seanad debates. kildarestreet.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ O'Halloran, Marie (13 December 2017). "Labour Senators and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh form technical group". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ Bacik, Ivana (7 March 2018). "Order of Business". Seanad debates. KildareStreet.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
Those of us in the Seanad Technical Group are really delighted that Senator David Norris will be joining us.
- ^ Norris, David (29 June 2016). "Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016: Second Stage". Seanad debates. KildareStreet.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
I also thank the Independent group of Senators, which I left with some delight yesterday
- ^ a b "Tipperary senator Denis Landy retires from Seanad on health grounds". Tipperary Star. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ "Fianna Fáil Senator resigns after ethics breach". independent. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Unionist farmer takes one of two Seanad seats". RTÉ News. 27 April 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
External links
- How the Seanad is Elected – Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
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