Dail Eireann
33rd Dail
Type
Type	Lower house of the Oireachtas
Term limits	None
History
Established	29 December 1937 ( Modern form )
Preceded by	Dail Eireann (Irish Free State)
New session started	20 February 2020
Leadership
Ceann Comhairle	Sean O Fearghail since 10 March 2016
Leas-Cheann Comhairle	Catherine Connolly , Ind since 23 July 2020
Taoiseach	Simon Harris , FG since 9 April 2024
Tanaiste	Micheal Martin , FF since 17 December 2022
Government Chief Whip	Hildegarde Naughton , FG since 17 December 2022
Deputy Chief Whip	Cormac Devlin , FF since 15 July 2020
Leader of the Opposition	Mary Lou McDonald , SF since 27 June 2020
Opposition Chief Whip	Padraig Mac Lochlainn , SF since 2 July 2020
Structure
Seats	160
Political groups	Government (82)   Fianna Fail (36)   Fine Gael (34)   Green Party (12) Opposition (77)   Sinn Fein (36)   Labour Party (7)   Social Democrats (6)   PBP?S (5)   Independent Ireland (3)   Aontu ( 1 )   RTOC ( 1 ) [1]   Independent (18) Ceann Comhairle   ( 1 )
Committees	5 Business Members' Interests of Dail Eireann Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight (Dail) Public Accounts Standing Orders and Dail Reform
Joint committees	20 Agriculture, Food and the Marine Autism Children, Disability, Equality, Integration, and Youth Disability Matters Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science Enterprise, Trade and Employment Environment and Climate Action European Union Affairs Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach Foreign Affairs and Defence Gender Equality Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community Health Housing, Local Government and Heritage Justice Public Petitions Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands Transport and Communications Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media
Length of term	No more than 5 years [a]
Authority	Articles 16?17, Constitution of Ireland
Salary	€108,987 per year [2] plus expenses [3]
Elections
Voting system	Proportional representation ( single transferable vote )
Last election	8 February 2020
Next election	By March 2025
Redistricting	Advisory recommendations made by the Electoral Commission
Meeting place
Dail Chamber Leinster House , Kildare Street , Dublin
Website
www .oireachtas .ie
Constitution
Constitution of Ireland
Rules
Dail Eireann ? Standing Orders Relative to Public Business 2020
Footnotes
^ Under the Constitution, the President may dissolve the Dail on the Taoiseach's discretional advice; they may refuse this advice if the Taoiseach has lost the Dail's confidence.

Dail Eireann ( / d ?ː l ? ??r ?n / ^ⓘ dahl AIR -?n , ^[4] Irish: [?d??aːl? ?eː???n??] ; lit.   ' Assembly of Ireland ' ) is the lower house , and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Eireann . ^[5] It consists of 160 members, each known as a Teachta Dala (plural Teachtai Dala , commonly abbreviated as TDs). TDs represent 39 constituencies and are directly elected for terms not exceeding five years, on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). Its powers are similar to those of lower houses under many other bicameral parliamentary systems and it is by far the dominant branch of the Oireachtas. Subject to the limits imposed by the Constitution of Ireland , it has power to pass any law it wishes, and to nominate and remove the Taoiseach ( head of government ). Since 1922, it has met in Leinster House in Dublin .

The Dail took its current form when the 1937 Constitution was adopted , but it maintains continuity with the First Dail established in 1919.

Composition [ edit ]

The Dail has 160 members. ^[6] The number is set within the limits of the Constitution of Ireland , which sets a minimum ratio of one member per 20,000 of the population, and a maximum of one per 30,000. Under current legislation, members are directly elected for terms not exceeding five years by the people of Ireland under a system of proportional representation known as the single transferable vote . Membership of the Dail is open to Irish citizens who are 21 or older. ^[7] A member of the Dail is a Teachta Dala and is known generally as a TD or Deputy.

The Dail electorate consists of Irish and British citizens over 18 years of age who are registered to vote in Ireland. ^[8] Under the Constitution a general election for Dail Eireann must occur once in every seven years, an earlier maximum of five years is set by the Electoral Act 1992. ^[9] The Taoiseach (head of government or prime minister) can, at any time, make a request to the president to dissolve the Dail, in which case a general election must occur within thirty days. The President may refuse to grant the dissolution to a Taoiseach who has ceased to retain the support of a majority in the Dail; to date, no request for a dissolution has been refused.

Elections [ edit ]

The STV electoral system broadly produces proportional representation in the Dail. The low district magnitude of the constituencies used, however, usually gives a small advantage to the larger parties and under-represents smaller parties. Since the 1990s the norm has been coalition governments. Prior to 1989, single-party governments by Fianna Fail were common. The multi-seat constituencies required by STV mean that candidates must often compete for election with others from the same party. This system offers wide voter choice but is accused by some of producing TDs who are excessively parochial. By-elections occur under the alternative vote system. Proposals to amend the constitution to change to the first-past-the-post system were rejected in referendums in 1959 and in 1968 .

Currently every Dail constituency elects between three and five TDs. The constitution specifies that no constituency may return fewer than three TDs but does not specify any upper limit to constituency magnitude. However, statute specifies a maximum of five seats per constituency. ^[10] The constitution requires that constituency boundaries be reviewed at least once in every twelve years, so that boundaries may be redrawn to accommodate changes in population. Boundary changes are currently drafted by an independent commission, and its recommendations are implemented by law. Malapportionment is forbidden by the constitution. Under the Constitution, the commission is required to refer to the most recent Census when considering boundary changes.

Number of members [ edit ]

There are currently 160 TDs in the Dail. This figure was provided by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dail Constituencies) Act 2017 and has been in place since the 2020 general election . It followed a recommendation of a Constituency Commission which reported in 2017, based on the 2016 census , to give an average representation of 29,762 of population per member. ^[11] This ratio is in line with that of many other European Union member state national parliaments' ratios, giving Ireland a similar MP-to-citizen ratio to Bulgaria , the Czech Republic , Denmark , Finland , Hungary , Latvia , Lithuania and Sweden . (At the two extremes of the EU range, Malta has one MP for every 6,000 citizens and Spain one MP for every 130,000 citizens). ^{[ citation needed ]}

Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 , there will be 174 TDs in the next Dail. This follows a recommendation of the Electoral Commission in August 2023. This would give an average representation of 29,593 people per TD, based on the 2022 census. ^[12]

Layout [ edit ]

The Dail chamber has confrontational benches but the end segment is curved to create a partial hemicycle . The government TDs sit on the left of the Ceann Comhairle , with the main opposition party on their right. The Chamber was adapted for use as a Parliament from its former use as a lecture theatre.

Duration [ edit ]

The First Dail was established on 21 January 1919 as the single-chamber parliament of the Irish Republic . One of the first actions of the Dail was to ratify a constitution, commonly known as the Dail Constitution . As a provisional constitution it made no reference to the length of the term of each Dail. The first and second Dail existed under the provisions of this constitution. Neither was recognised by the British government or the governments of other countries as the lawful parliament of Ireland.

On 6 December 1922, following the signing of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought the Irish War of Independence to an end, the single chamber Dail became the lower house of a new bicameral Oireachtas, the parliament of the newly established Irish Free State .

Article 28 of the Constitution of the Irish Free State (1922) set the maximum term for the Dail at four years. This was amended in 1927 from four years to six years "or such shorter period as may be fixed by legislation". ^[13] Later that same year, this period was fixed in law as a duration of "five years reckoned from the date of the first meeting of Dail Eireann after the last previous dissolution". ^[14]

On 29 December 1937, on the coming into force of the new Constitution of Ireland , the Irish Free State ceased to exist and was replaced by a new state called Ireland. Article 16.5 of the 1937 Constitution states, "Dail Eireann shall not continue for a longer period than seven years from the date of its first meeting: a shorter period may be fixed by law". The period in law remained at five years. Since the coming into force of the 1937 constitution, no Irish government has proposed changing the maximum term of the Dail, which still remains five years and was reconfirmed by legislation in 1992, which stated, "The same Dail shall not continue for a longer period than five years from the date of its first meeting". ^[9] Consequently, the maximum term for the Dail is five years from the date it first met following the last general election.

Dissolution [ edit ]

Article 16.3.2° of the Constitution of Ireland (1937) provides that an election for the membership of Dail Eireann must take place not later than 30 days after a dissolution of the current Dail. Article 16.4.2° requires that the newly elected Dail Eireann must convene no later than 30 days after the polling day for the election. As such, the maximum period of time between a dissolution of Dail Eireann before a general election and the meeting of the new Dail after a general election is 60 days.

The procedure and timetable for the dissolution of Dail Eireann, pursuant to a general election, and the date for the reassembly of the newly elected Dail, after the election, is set out in the Constitution of Ireland. Article 13.2.1° states that "Dail Eireann shall be summoned and dissolved by the President on the advice of the Taoiseach". Therefore, the timing of a general election rests with the Taoiseach of the day.

Once so advised by the Taoiseach, the President issues a proclamation which specifies the date on which the current Dail is dissolved, and the date on which the newly elected Dail must first meet.

The timing for polling day in a general election is decided on by the Taoiseach. However, this is governed within a specified statutory framework. Once the presidential proclamation is issued, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage sets, by way of a ministerial order, the date and time of polling day in the election.

Section 39(1) of the Electoral Act 1992 states: ^[15]

"Where the Dail is dissolved, the Clerk of the Dail shall, immediately upon the issue of the Proclamation dissolving the Dail, issue a writ to each returning officer for a constituency directing him to cause an election to be held of the full number of members of the Dail to serve in the Dail for that constituency."

Section 96 of the Electoral Act 1992 states: ^[16]

"(1) A poll at a Dail election?

(a) shall be taken on such day as shall be appointed by the Minister by order, being a day which (disregarding any excluded day) is not earlier than the seventeenth day or later than the twenty-fifth day next following the day on which the writ or writs for the election is or are issued,

(b) shall continue for such period, not being less than twelve hours, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. as may be fixed by the Minister by order, subject to the restriction that, in the case of a general election, he shall fix the same period for all constituencies.

(2) An order under this section shall be published in the Iris Oifigiuil as soon as may be after it is made."

For the purposes of the Act an "excluded day" means a day which is a Sunday, Good Friday or a day which is declared to be a public holiday by the Holidays (Employees) Act 1973, or a day which by virtue of a statute or proclamation is a public holiday. ^[17]

Therefore, if the Dail were dissolved on a Tuesday 1 February (in a non-leap year), and the writs for elections issued by the Clerk of the Dail on that day, then the earliest date for polling day would be Monday 21 February (17 days later, excluding Sundays) and the latest date for polling would be Wednesday 2 March (25 days after, excluding Sundays), with polling stations being open for a minimum 12-hour period between the hours of 8am and 10.30pm on polling day (as set out in the ministerial order). In such a scenario, the latest date by which the newly elected Dail must assemble would be Wednesday 23 March (for a 21 February polling date), or Friday 1 April (for a 2 March polling date).

Title [ edit ]

The name Dail Eireann is taken from the Irish language but is the official title of the body in both English and Irish, including in both language versions of the Irish constitution . Since the Dail was first established in 1919, it has also been described variously as a " National Assembly ", a " Chamber of Deputies " ^[18] and a " House of Representatives ".

A dail means a "meeting, tryst or encounter of any kind". ^[19] Article 15 of the 1937 Constitution describes the body as "a House of Representatives to be called Dail Eireann" ( Teach Ionadoiri ar a dtugtar Dail Eireann ). ^{[5] [20]}

The word Dail is accompanied by the definite article, but Dail Eireann is not; one speaks of "the Dail" but not "the Dail Eireann". ^{[ citation needed ]} The plural of Dail in the English language is most commonly Dails , although the Irish-language plural Dalai ^[21] is sometimes encountered in English. As there is only ever one Dail in existence at any one time, the plural is used when referring to the Dail after different elections; for example, when referring to the First and Second Dails. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Ceann Comhairle [ edit ]

The Ceann Comhairle is the chairperson, or presiding member, of the Dail. The Ceann Comhairle is chosen from among TDs but is required to observe strict impartiality. Despite this, the government will usually try to select one of its own for the position, if its numbers allow. To protect the neutrality of the chair, an incumbent Ceann Comhairle does not seek re-election as a TD but rather is deemed automatically to have been re-elected by their constituency at a general election, unless they are retiring. The Ceann Comhairle does not vote except in the event of a tie. The current Ceann Comhairle is Fianna Fail TD Sean O Fearghail .

Powers [ edit ]

While the Dail is one of three components of the Oireachtas, the other two being the President of Ireland and Seanad Eireann , the powers the constitution grants to the Dail render it by far the dominant branch, meaning that most bills passed by the Dail will ultimately become law. The president, upon consultation with the Council of State , may refer a bill to the Supreme Court of Ireland to test its constitutionality. If the Court finds that the bill is inconsistent with the Constitution, the president may not sign the bill.

In addition to its legislative role, it is the Dail that approves the nomination the Taoiseach for appointment by the President . The Dail may also pass a motion of no confidence in the Government , in which case the Taoiseach must either seek a parliamentary dissolution or resign. It has happened only once that the loss of confidence of the Dail did not result in a general election: in 1994 John Bruton of Fine Gael became Taoiseach when the Labour Party left the Fianna Fail coalition government led by Albert Reynolds .

The Dail has exclusive power to:

• Nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president;
• Approve the Taoiseach's nominees en bloc to serve as Government ministers on their appointment by the president;
• Approve the budget;
• Initiate bills to amend the Constitution ;
• Ratify treaties which include financial provisions (Provided they do not conflict with the Constitution of Ireland);
• Approve a declaration of war;
• Initiate 'money bills' or bills which incur a charge on the public finances (on the recommendation of the Government only);
• Nominate the Comptroller and Auditor General

Activities [ edit ]

The Dail determines its own standing orders and its members are protected by certain rights arising from parliamentary privilege . In line with other modern parliamentary systems, TDs do not generally vote in accordance with their consciences or the wishes of their constituents, but must follow the instructions of party whips , a practice that originated in the Irish Parliamentary Party . Except in exceptional circumstances, the Dail meets in public. The Dail currently has three standing committees and thirteen select committees .

As of 2019, the Dail sits on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays when the Oireachtas is sitting. On Tuesdays the Dail normally sits from 2pm until 11pm, on Wednesdays from 9.12am until around 11.30pm and on Thursdays from 9am until around 8pm.

A typical day consists of questions to various cabinet ministers, Leaders’ questions whereby opposition Leaders ask the Taoiseach questions and routine debates on Bills. Every Tuesday and Wednesday three hours over the two days are given to the debate of opposition motions. These normally try to embarrass the government and are widely covered in the media. The government and its majority normally amends these suitably and the amended version is passed by the Government.

Debate and speeches are generally in English, but TDs may switch between Irish and English.

Standards of conduct [ edit ]

The Ceann Comhairle has ruled that it is disorderly for one deputy to describe another as a brat, buffoon , chancer, communist, corner boy, coward, fascist, gurrier , guttersnipe , hypocrite , rat, scumbag, scurrilous speaker or yahoo ; or to insinuate that a TD is lying or drunk; or has violated the secrets of cabinet, or doctored an official report. ^[22] Also, the reference to "handbagging", particularly with reference to a female member of the House, has been deemed to be unparliamentary. ^[23] The Dail maintains a document, Salient Rulings of the Chair which covers behaviour in and out of the House by TDs; section 428 of this lists unparliamentary speech. ^[24]

Committees [ edit ]

Standing committees [ edit ]

• Committee on Administration
• Committee on Consolidation Bills
• Committee on Members' Interests of Dail Eireann
• Committee on Procedure and Privileges
  • Sub-committee on Compellability
  • Sub-committee on Dail Reform
• Committee of Public Accounts

Select committees [ edit ]

This section needs to be updated . Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( August 2021 )

• Select committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture
  • Select sub-committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
  • Select sub-committee on Agriculture, Marine and Food
• Select committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht
  • Select sub-committee on Environment, Community and Local Government
  • Select sub-committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport
  • Select sub-committee on Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
• Select committee on European Union Affairs
• Select committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Select committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform
  • Select sub-committee on Finance
  • Select sub-committee on Public Expenditure and Reform
• Select committee on Health and Children
  • Select sub-committee on Health
  • Select Sub-committee on Children and Youth Affairs
• Select committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement
• Select committee on Investigations, Oversight and Petitions
• Select committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education
  • Select sub-committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
  • Select sub-committee on Social Protection
  • Select sub-committee on Education and Skills
• Select committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

Special committees [ edit ]

• Special Committee on COVID-19 Response

Voting procedure [ edit ]

The Ceann Comhairle (or Leas-Cheann Comhairle) first puts the question in Irish, asking the TDs present to say Ta (Yes) or Nil (No) if they agree or disagree with the question before them. The Ceann Comhairle then gives his opinion as to the outcome of the voice vote. Deputies can challenge the Ceann Comhairle and demand a recorded vote by shouting Votail! (Vote!) The Ceann Comhairle then shouts Votail! again which starts the voting process. Division bells sound around Leinster House and in some of its adjoining buildings calling deputies to the chamber to vote. The bells ring for six minutes and the doors to the chamber are locked after a further four minutes.

The Ceann Comhairle then appoints two tellers for each side and deputies are given one minute to vote. The vote is taken by electronic means whereby Deputies press either the Ta or Nil button on their desks to vote for or against a motion. After the voting time has concluded a sheet (Division Paper) containing the result and each TDs vote is signed by the four tellers and given to the Ceann Comhairle who declares the result.

While electronic voting has become the norm the Dail votes manually through the lobbies at the back of the chamber on a number of occasions, for example, motions of no confidence. A teller in an electronic vote can call a manual vote if they so wish. This has become an opposition tactic during important votes which are widely covered in the media.

History [ edit ]

Precursors [ edit ]

The first legislature to exist in Ireland was the Parliament of Ireland from 1297 to 1800, and its house of representatives was the House of Commons . However the Parliament of Ireland was abolished under the Act of Union of 1800, with MPs elected for Ireland sitting in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until 1922. Irish nationalists first convened Dail Eireann as a revolutionary parliament in 1919 and while it successfully took over most functions of government it was not recognised under United Kingdom law .

In 1921 the United Kingdom government established a legislature called the Parliament of Southern Ireland in an effort to appease nationalists by granting Ireland limited home rule . However this body was rejected and boycotted by nationalists whose allegiance remained with the Dail. Nonetheless, because the First Dail was illegal under the United Kingdom constitution, the lower house of the Parliament of Southern Ireland, the House of Commons of Southern Ireland , is considered in British legal theory as the precursor to the Dail.

Revolutionary Dail (1919?1922) [ edit ]

The current Dail derives from the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, but maintain continuity from the First Dail of 1919. This Dail was an assembly established by Sinn Fein MPs elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in the 1918 United Kingdom general election . They had contested the election on a manifesto commitment of "[establishing] a constituent assembly comprising persons chosen by Irish constituencies as the supreme national authority to speak and act in the name of the Irish people". Upon winning 73 of the 105 Irish seats in the election, Sinn Fein MPs refused to recognise the United Kingdom parliament and instead convened as Dail Eireann (translated as "Assembly of Ireland"): the unicameral legislature of a unilaterally declared Irish Republic , and the first Irish parliament to exist since 1801.

The Dail of the Irish Republic, however, was only recognised internationally by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic . The first meeting of the Dail occurred in Dublin on 21 January 1919, in the Mansion House , attended by 27 members . The body was prohibited in the following September, and was forced underground, meeting in several locations.

Irish Free State (1922?1937) [ edit ]

The Dail of the Irish Republic was succeeded on 6 December 1922 by the Dail of the Irish Free State . The Irish Free State, comprising the twenty-six southern and western counties of Ireland, was established under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty . Dail Eireann was the house of representatives, described in the new constitution as a " Chamber of Deputies , of a bicameral legislature called the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State . The first Dail to exist under the Constitution of the Irish Free State succeeded the Second Dail of the Irish Republic and so was styled the Third Dail . The Third Dail, and every subsequent Dail, has met in Leinster House.

Constitution of Ireland (since 1937) [ edit ]

The Constitution of Ireland , adopted in 1937, established the modern Irish state, referred to as Ireland. ^[20] Under the constitution a new legislature retained the title Oireachtas , and its lower house remained Dail Eireann . The first Dail to meet under the Constitution of Ireland was described as the Ninth Dail.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity for social distancing , the Dail temporarily sat at the Convention Centre Dublin from June 2020 to July 2021. ^[25] From September 2021, the Dail returned to sitting in Leinster House.

Current composition [ edit ]

See also [ edit ]

• Bicameralism
• Dail election results
• Elections in the Republic of Ireland
• Current Irish government
• History of the Republic of Ireland
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland
• Records of members of the Oireachtas

Notes [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• Houses of the Oireachtas ? Official website
• Members of Dail Eireann 1919 to the present ? Oireachtas website

53°20′26″N 6°15′14″W  /  53.34055°N 6.254021°W  / 53.34055; -6.254021