61-612: Dáil Éireann ( / d ɑː l ˈ ɛər ən / dahl AIR -ən , Irish: [ˌd̪ˠaːlʲ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ; 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 Éireann . It consists of 174 members, each known as a Teachta Dála (plural Teachtaí Dála , commonly abbreviated as TDs). TDs represent 39 constituencies and are directly elected for terms not exceeding five years, on
122-737: A parliamentary dissolution or resign. It has happened only once that the loss of confidence of the Dáil did not result in a general election: in 1994 John Bruton of Fine Gael became Taoiseach when the Labour Party left the Fianna Fáil coalition government led by Albert Reynolds . The Dáil has exclusive power to: The Dáil 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
183-490: A parliamentary system , the lower house: In a presidential system , the lower house: The lower house: Members of the lower house: The government of the day is usually required to present its budget to the lower house, which must approve the budget. It is a widespread practice for revenue (appropriation) bills to originate in the lower house. A notable exception to this is the West Virginia House of Delegates in
244-778: A " Chamber of Deputies , of a bicameral legislature called the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State . The first Dáil to exist under the Constitution of the Irish Free State succeeded the Second Dáil of the Irish Republic and so was styled the Third Dáil . The Third Dáil, and every subsequent Dáil, has met in Leinster House. The Constitution of Ireland , adopted in 1937, established the modern Irish state, referred to as Ireland. Under
305-477: A "meeting, tryst or encounter of any kind". Article 15 of the 1937 Constitution describes the body as "a House of Representatives to be called Dáil Éireann" ( Teach Ionadóirí ar a dtugtar Dáil Éireann ). The word Dáil is accompanied by the definite article, but Dáil Éireann is not; one speaks of "the Dáil" but not "the Dáil Éireann". The plural of Dáil in the English language is most commonly Dáils , although
366-459: A 2 March polling date). The name Dáil Éireann 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 Dáil was first established in 1919, it has also been described variously as a " National Assembly ", a " Chamber of Deputies " and a " House of Representatives ". A dáil means
427-556: A TD is lying or drunk; or has violated the secrets of cabinet, or doctored an official report. Also, the reference to "handbagging", particularly with reference to a female member of the House, has been deemed to be unparliamentary. The Dáil 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. The Ceann Comhairle (or Leas-Cheann Comhairle) first puts
488-564: 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. Therefore, if the Dáil were dissolved on a Tuesday 1 February (in a non-leap year), and the writs for elections issued by the Clerk of the Dáil on that day, then the earliest date for polling day would be Tuesday 22 February (18 days later, excluding Sundays) and
549-483: A general election for Dáil Éireann must occur once in every seven years, but an earlier maximum of five years is set by the Electoral Act 1992. The Taoiseach (head of government or prime minister) can, at any time, make a request to the president to dissolve the Dáil, 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
610-497: A maximum of five seats per constituency. 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 drafted by the Electoral Commission − which from 2023 replaced a judge-led Constituency Commission appointed for each review − and its recommendations are implemented by law. Malapportionment
671-551: 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 Dáil 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
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#1733094535172732-416: 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 Dáil, which still remains five years and was reconfirmed by legislation in 1992, which stated, "The same Dáil shall not continue for a longer period than five years from the date of its first meeting". Consequently,
793-557: A study on introducing an electoral commission, carried out by academics from University College Dublin . After the 2011 general election , the Fine Gael and Labour parties formed a coalition government whose programme included a commitment to establish an electoral commission. Such a commission was also recommended in the Constitutional Convention 's 2013 report on the system of elections to Dáil Éireann (lower house of
854-560: Is Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl . While the Dáil is one of three components of the Oireachtas, the other two being the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann , the powers the constitution grants to the Dáil render it by far the dominant branch, meaning that most bills passed by the Dáil will ultimately become law. The president, upon consultation with the Council of State , may refer a bill to
915-540: Is forbidden by the constitution. Under the Constitution, the commission is required to refer to the most recent Census when considering boundary changes. There are currently 160 TDs in the Dáil. This figure was provided by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil 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
976-502: 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: Section 96 of the Electoral Act 1992 (as amended) states: For the purposes of the Act an "excluded day" means
1037-409: Is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature , where the other chamber is the upper house . Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise exert significant political influence. In comparison with the upper house, lower houses frequently display certain characteristics (though they vary by jurisdiction). In
1098-629: 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 Féin MPs refused to recognise the United Kingdom parliament and instead convened as Dáil Éireann (translated as "Assembly of Ireland"):
1159-455: The 1937 Constitution was adopted , but it maintains continuity with the First Dáil established in 1919. The Dáil has 174 members. 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
1220-584: The 2016 census , to give an average representation of 29,762 of population per member. 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). Under
1281-511: The Australian Electoral Commission and UK Electoral Commission as case studies of possible models for the Irish body. The various official reports listed functions which might be performed by the commission, and noted who is currently responsible for them. The bill published in 2021 would give some of these as "initial functions" to the commission it establishes, leaving open the possibility for others to be transferred to it at
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#17330945351721342-607: 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. The First Dáil was established on 21 January 1919 as the single-chamber parliament of the Irish Republic . One of the first actions of the Dáil was to ratify a constitution, commonly known as the Dáil Constitution . As a provisional constitution it made no reference to
1403-459: The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 , there will be 174 TDs in the 34th and subsequent Dáils. 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. The Dáil chamber has confrontational benches but the end segment is curved to create a partial hemicycle . The government TDs sit on the left of
1464-630: 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 Dáil that approves the nomination the Taoiseach for appointment by the President . The Dáil may also pass a motion of no confidence in the Government , in which case the Taoiseach must either seek
1525-759: The Commission are defined by the Electoral Reform Act 2022. An electoral commission was recommended by several official reports, including the Second Report (2006) of the Commission on Electronic Voting . Private member's bills to establish an electoral commission were introduced by Ciarán Lynch in 2008 and 2012. In 2008, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government commissioned and published
1586-621: The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for heritage and electoral reform. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage produced the general scheme of an Electoral Reform Bill, which was approved by the cabinet on 30 December 2020 and published on 8 January 2021. The scheme was submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny to an Oireachtas Joint Committee , which had public meetings with invited parties between 23 January and 22 June and issued its report in August. The draft bill sought both to modernise
1647-495: The Dáil 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
1708-453: The Gaeltacht discussed the plan with Alan Kelly on 10 March 2015. Kelly stated that drafting the enabling bill would begin when the committee had consulted and reported back to him, that he expected the bill to be enacted by the end of 2015, that the commission would not be established before the next general election , and that functions should be assigned to it on a phased basis. In April 2015
1769-556: The Irish-language plural Dálaí is sometimes encountered in English. As there is only ever one Dáil in existence at any one time, the plural is used when referring to the Dáil after different elections; for example, when referring to the First and Second Dáils. The Ceann Comhairle is the chairperson, or presiding member, of the Dáil. The Ceann Comhairle is chosen from among TDs but is required to observe strict impartiality. Despite this,
1830-484: The Oireachtas". The government's September 2016 list of planned legislation included the Electoral Commission Bill in the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government 's "medium and long term" plans. In June 2017, the department was preparing a Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA). In October 2017, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there was "no timeframe" for establishing the commission and it
1891-605: The Oireachtas), which was also endorsed the government. Alan Kelly , the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government , outlined progress of the plan in Seanad Éireann in December 2014, The government published a consultation paper in January 2015, and said it intended to introduce a bill in the Oireachtas in 2015. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and
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1952-533: The President , would be appointed to work on the preparatory institutional and administrative arrangements for the commission, pending its formal establishment. The 2023 budget earmarks €5.7m for the commission and a further €2.77m to enable local authorities to modernise the electoral register. The Commission may consist of between 7 and 9 members: a chair appointed from the judiciary, two ex officio members, and four to six ordinary members. The functions of
2013-423: 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 Dáil is dissolved, and the date on which the newly elected Dáil must first meet. The timing for polling day in a general election is decided on by the Taoiseach. However, this
2074-618: The United States, which allows revenue bills to originate from either house. Many lower houses are named in manners such as follows: This government -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Electoral Commission (Ireland) The Electoral Commission ( An Coimisiún Toghcháin ) is an election commission with responsibility for the oversight of all elections in Ireland , including electoral operations, constituency reviews and electoral integrity. It
2135-443: 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 Tá or Níl button on their desks to vote for or against a motion. After the voting time has concluded
2196-527: The closing date of 15 March 2019. In July 2019 Phelan said work was commencing on drafting the general scheme (outline) of an Electoral Commission Bill. Negotiations after the February 2020 general election led to the formation in June of a Fianna Fáil–Fine Gael–Green coalition , whose programme for government promised an electoral commission by the end of 2021. Malcolm Noonan was appointed as Minister of State at
2257-492: The committee invited submissions on the government's consultation paper from interest groups, and held hearings with them in June and July. The committee's report was launched on 14 January 2016. After the 2016 general election , a minority coalition government was formed by Fine Gael and Independent TDs with confidence and supply support from Fianna Fáil . Its programme committed to establishing an electoral commission "independent of Government and directly accountable to
2318-767: The constitution a new legislature retained the title Oireachtas , and its lower house remained Dáil Éireann . The first Dáil to meet under the Constitution of Ireland was described as the Ninth Dáil. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity for social distancing , the Dáil temporarily sat at the Convention Centre Dublin from June 2020 to July 2021. From September 2021, the Dáil returned to sitting in Leinster House. 53°20′26″N 6°15′14″W / 53.34055°N 6.254021°W / 53.34055; -6.254021 Lower house A lower house
2379-406: The date of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann after the last previous dissolution". 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, "Dáil Éireann shall not continue for a longer period than seven years from the date of its first meeting:
2440-480: The election. As such, the maximum period of time between a dissolution of Dáil Éireann before a general election and the meeting of the new Dáil after a general election is 60 days. The procedure and timetable for the dissolution of Dáil Éireann, pursuant to a general election, and the date for the reassembly of the newly elected Dáil, after the election, is set out in the Constitution of Ireland. Article 13.2.1° states that "Dáil Éireann shall be summoned and dissolved by
2501-605: The electoral register and to establish an electoral commission with seven to nine members and a permanent staff. The establishment provisions are modelled on the Policing Authority established in 2015. The commission would comprise: The commission's staff would be members of the Civil Service of the State , with a Chief Executive recommended by the Commission for Public Service Appointments. The Constitutional Convention took
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2562-472: The following September, and was forced underground, meeting in several locations. The Dáil of the Irish Republic was succeeded on 6 December 1922 by the Dáil 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 . Dáil Éireann was the house of representatives, described in the new constitution as
2623-581: 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. 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
2684-421: 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
2745-409: 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 7am 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 Dáil must assemble would be Thursday 24 March (for a 22 February polling date), or Friday 1 April (for
2806-502: The length of the term of each Dáil. The first and second Dáil 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 Dáil became
2867-428: 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 Dáil at four years. This was amended in 1927 from four years to six years "or such shorter period as may be fixed by legislation". Later that same year, this period was fixed in law as a duration of "five years reckoned from
2928-606: 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 Dáil. The current Dáil derives from the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, but maintain continuity from the First Dáil of 1919. This Dáil was an assembly established by Sinn Féin MPs elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in
2989-408: The maximum term for the Dáil is five years from the date it first met following the last general election. Article 16.3.2° of the Constitution of Ireland (1937) provides that an election for the membership of Dáil Éireann must take place not later than 30 days after a dissolution of the current Dáil. Article 16.4.2° requires that the newly elected Dáil Éireann must convene no later than 30 days after
3050-595: The media. 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 Dáil Éireann as a revolutionary parliament in 1919 and while it successfully took over most functions of government it
3111-414: The people of Ireland under a system of proportional representation known as the single transferable vote . Membership of the Dáil is open to Irish citizens who are 21 or older. A member of the Dáil is a Teachta Dála and is known generally as a TD or Deputy. The Dáil electorate consists of Irish and British citizens over 18 years of age who are registered to vote in Ireland. Under the Constitution
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#17330945351723172-555: The question in Irish, asking the TDs present to say Tá (Yes) or Níl (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 Vótáil! (Vote!) The Ceann Comhairle then shouts Vótáil! again which starts the voting process. Division bells sound around Leinster House and in some of its adjoining buildings calling deputies to
3233-561: 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 Dáil 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
3294-580: The support of a majority in the Dáil; to date, no request for a dissolution has been refused. The STV electoral system broadly produces proportional representation in the Dáil. 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 Fáil were common. The multi-seat constituencies required by STV mean that candidates must often compete for election with others from
3355-622: 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 Dáil took its current form when
3416-593: The unicameral legislature of a unilaterally declared Irish Republic , and the first Irish parliament to exist since 1801. The Dáil of the Irish Republic, however, was only recognised internationally by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic . The first meeting of the Dáil occurred in Dublin on 21 January 1919, in the Mansion House , attended by 27 members . The body was prohibited in
3477-472: 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 Dáil meets in public. The Dáil currently has three standing committees and thirteen select committees . As of 2019, the Dáil sits on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays when the Oireachtas is sitting. On Tuesdays
3538-712: Was "very much a long-term project". In September 2018 John Paul Phelan , Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform , gave an update to the Seanad. He said a priority was "modernisation" of the electoral register, which different local authorities had been maintaining in divergent manners; this would take "two to three years", involve "significant public consultation", and proceed separately from work on an Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission RIA published in November 2018 compared four implementation strategies. The ensuing public consultation received 23 submissions by
3599-489: Was developed by a series of governments since then, before the publication of the heads of a bill in 2021. The Electoral Commission was established on 9 February 2023 under the Electoral Reform Act 2022 by order of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage , Darragh O'Brien . In March 2021 it was announced that Art O'Leary, upon completion in June 2021 of his seven-year term as Secretary General to
3660-439: Was established in 2023. Prior to its establishment, some of these functions had been carried out by various government departments , local government officials, statutory agencies and components of the Oireachtas and in the case of Boundaries by a judge led commission, while other functions are novel to the new Commission. A proposal for an electoral commission was first considered in a government report commissioned in 2008, and
3721-476: 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 Dáil. Nonetheless, because the First Dáil was illegal under the United Kingdom constitution,
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