26th Seanad
←25th Seanad
Overview
Legislative bodySeanad Éireann
JurisdictionIreland
Meeting placeLeinster House
Election30–31 March 2020
Members60
CathaoirleachJerry Buttimer (FG)
Leas-ChathaoirleachMark Daly (FF)
Leader of the
Seanad		Lisa Chambers (FF)
Deputy leader of the SeanadRegina Doherty (FG)
Leader of the
Opposition		Niall Ó Donnghaile (SF)
Leader of the
Opposition		Rebecca Moynihan (Lab)
Sessions
1st29 June 2020 – 31 July 2020
2nd16 September 2020 – 16 July 2021
3rd21 September 2021 – 14 July 2022
4th14 September 2022 – 13 July 2023
5th26 September 2023 –

The 26th Seanad has been in office since 2020. The 2020 Seanad election followed the 2020 general election to the 33rd Dáil on 8 February. The Constitution of Ireland required a general election for Seanad Éireann, the Senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), to take place not later than ninety days after a dissolution of 32nd Dáil on 14 January 2020. There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels by serving politicians, for which polling closed on 30 March 2020; 6 were elected in two university constituencies, for which polling closed on 31 March 2020; and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach (Micheál Martin) on 27 June 2020.

The government has a clear majority (40 to 20) in the Seanad. Of the 60 members, twenty-four (40%) are women, and thirty (50%) are first-time Senators. Five Senators (8%) are members of the LGBT+ community.[1] 33 members (55%) of the 26th Seanad were unsuccessful candidates at the 2020 general election, 10 of those (17%) being outgoing TDs who failed to get re-elected. In total 41 members (68%) of the 26th Seanad had contested general elections in the past, while 15 (25%) were former TDs. Eileen Flynn is the first Irish Traveller to be a member of the Seanad.[2]

Senator Mark Daly was elected as Cathaoirleach at the opening of the term, and Senator Jerry Buttimer as Leas Cathaoirleach. As part of a government rotation agreement between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party, Jerry Buttimer replaced Daly as Cathaoirleach on 16 December 2022, with Daly becoming Leas Cathaoirleach.[1] The political leadership of the Seanad also swapped on 16 December 2022, with outgoing Leader of the Seanad, Regina Doherty becoming Deputy Leader, and outgoing Deputy Leader Lisa Chambers becoming Leader. Outgoing Government Chief Whip of the Seanad, Senator Seán Kyne of Fine Gael also swapped positions with Seanad Government Deputy Chief Whip Senator Robbie Gallagher, who took over as Seanad Chief Whip. The leadership of the Green Party group in the Seanad also changed with Senator Pauline O'Reilly stepping down as Group leader to be replaced by Senator Róisín Garvey.

This rotation in Seanad leadership followed the corresponding rotation of Taoiseach and Tánaiste on 17 December, for the second half of the Dáil/Seanad term.[3][4]

Electoral system

There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 Senators are elected by the Vocational panels, six elected by the two university constituencies, and eleven are nominated by the Taoiseach. Three seats are elected by graduates of the four colleges of the National University of Ireland (University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Galway and Maynooth University) and three seats are elected by graduates of the University of Dublin (as Trinity College Dublin is the sole constituent college, this is often referred to as the Trinity College constituency).[5]

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 21 January, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy signed the orders for the Seanad election.[6]

Timetable

  • 24 February 2020: deadline for proposals for nominations to the vocational panels by nominating bodies (civic society groups)
  • 2 March 2020: deadline for proposals for nominations to the vocational panels by Members of the Oireachtas (President of Ireland, TDs and Senators)
  • 9 March 2020: Seanad Returning Officer completed the panels of candidates
  • 16 March 2020: postal balloting began
  • 30 March 2020, 11 a.m.: polling closed for the five special panels, counting of votes commences[7][8]
  • 31 March 2020, 11 a.m.: polling closed in the two university constituencies
  • 27 June 2020: Taoiseach's nominees announced

Composition of the 26th Seanad

Results of 2020 Seanad election

Origin
Party
 Vocational panels NUI DU Nominated Total
Admin Agri Cult & Educ Ind & Comm Labour
● Fianna Fáil3423400420
● Fine Gael2322300416
Sinn Féin111110005
Labour Party110110105
● Green Party010010024
Human Dignity Alliance000001001
Independent010212219
Total7115911331160

Government parties denoted with bullets (●)

Leadership

Government

Opposition

List of senators

Panel Name Portrait Party affiliation
(Technical group)		 Assumed office
Start of Seanad term Current
Administrative Panel Garret Ahearn[lower-alpha 1] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Martin Conway Fine Gael 25 May 2011
Mark Daly Fianna Fáil 13 September 2007
Rebecca Moynihan[lower-alpha 1] Labour 29 June 2020
Niall Ó Donnghaile Sinn Féin 8 June 2016
Fiona O'Loughlin[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Diarmuid Wilson Fianna Fáil 12 September 2002
Agricultural Panel Niall Blaney[lower-alpha 1] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Victor Boyhan Independent 8 June 2016
Lynn Boylan[lower-alpha 1] Sinn Féin 29 June 2020
Paddy Burke Fine Gael 17 February 1993
Maria Byrne Elected in 2021 by-election Fine Gael 23 April 2021[lower-alpha 3]
Paul Daly Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016
Michael D'Arcy[lower-alpha 2] Fine Gael Resigned in 2020 29 June 2020[lower-alpha 3]
Pippa Hackett Green Party 5 November 2019
Annie Hoey[lower-alpha 1] Labour 29 June 2020
Tim Lombard Fine Gael 8 June 2016
Eugene Murphy[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Denis O'Donovan Fianna Fáil 13 September 2007[lower-alpha 3]
Cultural and Educational Panel Malcolm Byrne[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Lisa Chambers[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Seán Kyne[lower-alpha 2] Fine Gael 29 June 2020[lower-alpha 4]
John McGahon[lower-alpha 1] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Fintan Warfield Sinn Féin 8 June 2016
Industrial and Commercial Panel Catherine Ardagh Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016
Frances Black Independent
(Civil Engagement Group)		 8 June 2016
Micheál Carrigy[lower-alpha 1] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Ollie Crowe[lower-alpha 1] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Aidan Davitt Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016
Gerry Horkan Elected in 2021 by-election Fianna Fáil 23 April 2021[lower-alpha 3]
Elisha McCallion[lower-alpha 1] Sinn Féin Resigned in 2020 29 June 2020
Sharon Keogan[lower-alpha 1] Independent 29 June 2020
Mark Wall[lower-alpha 1] Labour 29 June 2020
Barry Ward[lower-alpha 1] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Labour Panel Jerry Buttimer Fine Gael Cathaoirleach 8 June 2016[lower-alpha 3]
Pat Casey[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Shane Cassells[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Gerard Craughwell Independent 14 October 2014
John Cummins[lower-alpha 1] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Robbie Gallagher Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016
Paul Gavan Sinn Féin 8 June 2016
Joe O'Reilly Fine Gael 8 June 2016[lower-alpha 3]
Pauline O'Reilly[lower-alpha 1] Green Party 29 June 2020
Ned O'Sullivan Fianna Fáil 13 September 2007
Marie Sherlock[lower-alpha 1] Labour 29 June 2020
National University of Ireland Alice-Mary Higgins Independent
(Civil Engagement Group)		 8 June 2016
Michael McDowell Independent 8 June 2016
Rónán Mullen Human Dignity Alliance 13 September 2007
Dublin University Ivana Bacik Labour Elected to the Dáil in 2021 13 September 2007
Tom Clonan Elected in 2022 by-election Independent 5 April 2022
David Norris Independent 25 April 1987
Lynn Ruane Independent
(Civil Engagement Group)		 8 June 2016
Nominated by the Taoiseach Lorraine Clifford-Lee Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016
Emer Currie[lower-alpha 5] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Regina Doherty[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 5] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Aisling Dolan[lower-alpha 5] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Timmy Dooley[lower-alpha 2] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020[lower-alpha 3]
Mary Fitzpatrick[lower-alpha 5] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Eileen Flynn[lower-alpha 5] Independent
(Civil Engagement Group)		 29 June 2020
Róisín Garvey[lower-alpha 5] Green Party 29 June 2020
Vincent P. Martin[lower-alpha 5] Green Party 29 June 2020
Erin McGreehan[lower-alpha 5] Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020
Mary Seery Kearney[lower-alpha 5] Fine Gael 29 June 2020
Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Elected for the first time at the 2020 Seanad election.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Member of the 32nd Dáil.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Previously served as member of the Seanad non-consecutively to the current consecutive terms of office.
  4. ↑ Seán Kyne was nominated by the Taoiseach to the 25th Seanad on the 20 February 2020 but did not take his seat nor was introduced in the Seanad during the term of the 25th Seanad.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Nominated to Seanad for the first time in 2020.

Changes

Date Panel Loss Gain Note
28 September 2020 Agricultural Panel Fine Gael   Michael W. D'Arcy resigns from the Seanad[9]
29 October 2020 Industrial and Commercial Panel Sinn Féin   Elisha McCallion resigns from the Seanad[10]
21 April 2021 Agricultural Panel   Fine Gael Maria Byrne elected in a by-election[11]
21 April 2021 Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fianna Fáil Gerry Horkan elected in a by-election[11]
9 July 2021 Dublin University Labour   Ivana Bacik elected to the Dáil at a by-election
31 March 2022 Dublin University   Independent Tom Clonan elected in a by-election[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Election of Cathaoirleach – Seanad Éireann (26th Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  2. ↑ Holland, Kitty. "Seanad nominees welcomed by National Women's Council". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Clerk of the Seanad (16 December 2022). "Election of Cathaoirleach – Seanad Éireann (26th Seanad)". Oireachtas.ie. Houses of the Oireachtas.
  4. ↑ Lehane, Mícheál (16 December 2022). "Buttimer elected Cathaoirleach of Seanad". RTÉ News.
  5. ↑ "Seanad elections - everything you need to know". RTÉ. 1 March 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Seanad Éireann General Election". Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. 22 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  7. ↑ O'Halloran, Marie. "New FG Senator expected to be appointed for few weeks before Seanad election". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Seanad general election 2020". Oireachtas.ie. Houses of the Oireachtas. 6 February 2020. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Taylor, Cliff (28 September 2020). "Former junior finance minister to head funds sector lobby group". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  10. ↑ Kearney, Vincent (29 October 2020). "Three Sinn Féin members resign over Covid grants". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Byrne and Horkan elected to Seanad following by-election". RTÉ News. 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Clonan wins Trinity College Seanad by-election". RTÉ News. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
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