fbpx
Wikipedia

Dáil Éireann

Dáil Éireann (/dɔɪl ˈɛərən/ (listen) doyl AIR-ən,[2] 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 Seanad Éireann (the upper house).[3] It consists of 160 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 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.

Dáil Éireann
33rd Dáil
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
Established29 December 1937 (Modern form)
Preceded byDáil Éireann (Irish Free State)
New session started
20 February 2020
Leadership
Catherine Connolly, Ind
since 23 July 2020
Hildegarde Naughton, FG
since 17 December 2022
Brendan Griffin, FG
since 15 July 2020
Mary Lou McDonald, SF
since 27 June 2020
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, SF
since 2 July 2020
Structure
Seats160
Political groups
Government (81)
  Fianna Fáil (36)
  Fine Gael (33)
  Green Party (12)

Opposition (78)

  Sinn Féin (36)
  Labour Party (7)
  Social Democrats (6)
  PBP–S (5)
  Aontú (1)
  RTOC (1)[1]
  Independent (22)
Ceann Comhairle
  (1)
Committees
  • Business
  • Members' Interests of Dáil Éireann
  • Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight (Dáil)
  • Public Accounts
  • Standing Orders and Dáil Reform
Joint committees
  • 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]
AuthorityArticles 16−17, Constitution of Ireland
Salary€105,271 per year + expenses
Elections
PR (single transferable vote)
Last election
8 February 2020
Next election
By February 2025
RedistrictingNon-binding recommendations made by the Constituency Commission
Meeting place
Dáil Chamber
Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin
Website
www.oireachtas.ie
Constitution
Constitution of Ireland
Rules
Dáil Éireann – Standing Orders Relative to Public Business 2020
Footnotes
  1. ^ Under the Constitution, the President may dissolve the Dáil on the Taoiseach's discretional advice; they may refuse this advice if the Taoiseach has lost the Dáil's confidence.

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

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

Composition

The Dáil has 160 members.[4] 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 Dáil is open to Irish citizens who are 21 or older.[5] 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.[6] Under the Constitution a general election for Dáil Éireann must occur once in every seven years, an earlier maximum of five years is set by the Electoral Act 1992.[7] 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 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 small size of the constituencies used, however, usually gives a small advantage to the larger parties and under-represents smaller parties. Since the 1990s the norm in the state has been coalition governments. Prior to 1989, however, one-party government by the Fianna Fáil party was common. The multi-seat constituencies required by STV mean that candidates must often compete for election with others from the same party. (The contest is not zero-sum though, as two or more candidates of the same party can all be elected.) 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 voting system were rejected in referendums in 1959 and in 1968.

Currently every 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.[8] 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

The Constituency Commission which reported in 2017, recommended a total of 160 TDs, which based on the 2016 census gave an average representation of 29,762 of population per member.[9] This report was implemented by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 and took effect at the 2020 general election. 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]

Layout

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 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

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 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.

Following the signing of the 1922 Anglo-Irish Treaty, which brought the Irish War of Independence to an end, the single chamber Dáil became the lower house of a new bicameral Oireachtas, the parliament of the newly established Irish Free State. Under the treaty, a new constitution replaced the 1919 Dáil constitution.

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".[10] 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 Dáil Éireann after the last previous dissolution".[11]

On 29 December 1937, the Irish Free State ceased to exist and was replaced by a new state called Ireland, with the coming into force of the new Constitution of Ireland. Article 16.5 of the 1937 constitution states that "Dáil Éireann 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 info 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".[7] The acceptance of five years as the maximum term for any single Dáil was reconfirmed by section 33 of the Electoral Act 1992, which states Consequently, the maximum term for the Dáil is five years from the date it first met following the last general election.

Dissolution

Article 16.3.2º 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 16.4.2º requires that the newly elected Dáil Éireann 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 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 13.2.1º states that "Dáil Éireann 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 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 is governed within a specified statutory framework. Once the Presidential proclamation is issued, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government 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:[12]

"Where the Dáil is dissolved, the Clerk of the Dáil shall, immediately upon the issue of the Proclamation dissolving the Dáil, 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 Dáil to serve in the Dáil for that constituency."

Section 96 of the Electoral Act 1992 states:[13]

"(1) A poll at a Dáil 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 Oifigiúil 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.[14]

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 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 Dáil must assemble would be Wednesday 23 March (for a 21 February polling date), or Friday 1 April (for a 2 March polling date).

Title

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" [15] and a "House of Representatives".

A dáil means a "meeting, tryst or encounter of any kind".[16] 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).[3][17]

The word Dáil is accompanied by the definite article, but Dáil Éireann is not; one speaks of "the Dáil" but not "the Dáil Éireann".[citation needed] The plural of Dáil in the English language is most commonly Dáils, although the Irish-language plural Dálaí[18] 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.[citation needed]

Ceann Comhairle

The chairman, or presiding member, of the Dáil is the Ceann Comhairle. 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 Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

Powers

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 may refer a bill to the Supreme Court of Ireland to test its constitutionality upon consultation with the Council of State. If the Court finds that the bill is inconsistent with the Constitution, the bill does not become law.

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 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:

  • 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

 
Leinster House in Dublin, seat of Dáil Éireann.

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 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 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 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

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.[19] Also, the reference to "handbagging", particularly with reference to a female member of the House, has been deemed to be unparliamentary.[20] 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.[21]

Committees

Standing committees

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

Select committees

  • 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

Voting procedure

The Ceann Comhairle (or Leas-Cheann Comhairle) first puts the question in Irish, asking the TDs present to say (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 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 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 the media.

History

Precursors

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 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, 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.

Revolutionary Dáil (1919–1922)

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 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"): 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 the following September, and was forced underground, meeting in several locations.

Irish Free State (1922–1937)

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 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.

Constitution of Ireland (since 1937)

The Constitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, established the modern Irish state, referred to today as Ireland.[17] Under 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.[22] From September 2021, the Dáil returned to sitting in Leinster House.

Current composition

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Dublin TD Joan Collins leaves I4C to found new party Right to Change". The Times. 31 May 2020. from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Dáil". Oxford Dictionaries UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press.[dead link]
  3. ^ a b Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall consist of the President and two Houses, viz.: a House of Representatives to be called Dáil Éireann and a Senate to be called Seanad Éireann."
  4. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 19, s. 2: Number of members of Dáil Éireann (No. 39 of 2017, s. 2). Signed on 23 December 2017. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
  5. ^ Electoral Act 1992, s. 41: Disqualification for membership of Dáil (No. 23 of 1992, s. 41). Signed on 5 November 1992. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021.
  6. ^ Citizens information. "Right to vote in Ireland". www.citizensinformation.ie. from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b Electoral Act 1992, s. 33: Maximum duration of Dáil (No. 23 of 1992, s. 33). Signed on 5 November 1992. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021.
  8. ^ Electoral Act 1997, s. 6: Function of Constituency Commission (No. 25 of 1997, s. 6). Signed on 15 May 1997. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Constituency Commission Report 2017: Dáil and European Parliament Constituencies" (PDF). Constituency Commission. p. 15. (PDF) from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  10. ^ Constitution (Amendment No. 4) Act 1927, s. 1: Extension of duration of Dáil Eireann (No. 5 of 1927, s. 1). Signed on 4 March 1927. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021.
  11. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 1927, s. 7: Maximum duration of the Oireachtas (No. 21 of 1927, s. 7). Signed on 22 May 1927. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 28 March 2020.
  12. ^ Electoral Act 1992, s. 39: Issue and return of writs (No. 23 of 1992, s. 39). Signed on 5 November 1992. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021.
  13. ^ Electoral Act 1992, s. 96: Times of poll (No. 23 of 1992, s. 96). Signed on 5 November 1992. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021.
  14. ^ Electoral Act 1992, s. 2: Interpretation (No. 23 of 1992, s. 2). Signed on 5 November 1992. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021.
  15. ^ The Statesman's Year-Book 29 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine, 1930, page 77
  16. ^ Connolly, S. J., ed. (2004). The Oxford Campanion to Irish History (2nd pbk ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 141. ISBN 9780192805010.
  17. ^ a b "Constitution of Ireland". Office of the Attorney General. from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  18. ^ "Irish Grammar Database: dáil". www.teanglann.ie. from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  19. ^ Salient Rulings of the Chair (2nd ed.). Dublin: Dáil Éireann. May 2002. §408.
  20. ^ "Dáil code: 'handbagging' not allowed". The Irish Times. 12 December 2009. from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
  21. ^ "Personal Apology by Deputy". Houses of the Oireachtas. 11 December 2009. from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  22. ^ Hosford, Paul (15 July 2021). "Dáil back in Leinster House on Sept 15 after summer break". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 July 2022.

External links

  • Houses of the Oireachtas – Official website
  • Members of Dáil Éireann 1919 to the present – Oireachtas website

dáil, Éireann, this, article, about, current, irish, body, historical, legislatures, irish, republic, irish, free, state, ɔɪ, ɛər, listen, doyl, irish, ˠaːlʲ, ˈeːɾʲən, assembly, ireland, lower, house, principal, chamber, oireachtas, irish, legislature, which, . This article is about the current Irish body For the historical legislatures see Dail Eireann Irish Republic and Dail Eireann Irish Free State Dail Eireann d ɔɪ l ˈ ɛer en listen doyl AIR en 2 Irish ˌd ˠaːlʲ ˈeːɾʲen ˠ lit Assembly of Ireland is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas Irish legislature which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Eireann the upper house 3 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 Dail Eireann33rd DailTypeTypeLower house of the OireachtasTerm limitsNoneHistoryEstablished29 December 1937 Modern form Preceded byDail Eireann Irish Free State New session started20 February 2020LeadershipCeann ComhairleSean o Fearghail since 10 March 2016Leas Cheann ComhairleCatherine Connolly Ind since 23 July 2020TaoiseachLeo Varadkar FG since 17 December 2022TanaisteMicheal Martin FF since 17 December 2022Government Chief WhipHildegarde Naughton FG since 17 December 2022Deputy Chief WhipBrendan Griffin FG since 15 July 2020Leader of the OppositionMary Lou McDonald SF since 27 June 2020Opposition Chief WhipPadraig Mac Lochlainn SF since 2 July 2020StructureSeats160Political groupsGovernment 81 Fianna Fail 36 Fine Gael 33 Green Party 12 Opposition 78 Sinn Fein 36 Labour Party 7 Social Democrats 6 PBP S 5 Aontu 1 RTOC 1 1 Independent 22 Ceann Comhairle 1 Committees5 BusinessMembers Interests of Dail EireannParliamentary Privileges and Oversight Dail Public AccountsStanding Orders and Dail ReformJoint committees20 Agriculture Food and the MarineAutismChildren Disability Equality Integration and YouthDisability MattersEducation Further and Higher Education Research Innovation and ScienceEnterprise Trade and EmploymentEnvironment and Climate ActionEuropean Union AffairsFinance Public Expenditure and Reform and TaoiseachForeign Affairs and DefenceGender EqualityImplementation of the Good Friday AgreementIrish Language Gaeltacht and the Irish speaking CommunityHealthHousing Local Government and HeritageJusticePublic PetitionsSocial Protection Community and Rural Development and the IslandsTransport and CommunicationsTourism Culture Arts Sport and MediaLength of termNo more than 5 years a AuthorityArticles 16 17 Constitution of IrelandSalary 105 271 per year expensesElectionsVoting systemPR single transferable vote Last election8 February 2020Next electionBy February 2025RedistrictingNon binding recommendations made by the Constituency CommissionMeeting placeDail ChamberLeinster House Kildare Street DublinWebsitewww wbr oireachtas wbr ieConstitutionConstitution of IrelandRulesDail Eireann Standing Orders Relative to Public Business 2020Footnotes 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 Coordinates 53 20 26 N 6 15 14 W 53 34055 N 6 254021 W 53 34055 6 254021The Dail took its current form when the 1937 Constitution was adopted but it maintains continuity with the First Dail established in 1919 Contents 1 Composition 1 1 Number of members 1 2 Layout 2 Duration 3 Dissolution 4 Title 5 Ceann Comhairle 6 Powers 7 Activities 7 1 Standards of conduct 8 Committees 8 1 Standing committees 8 2 Select committees 8 3 Special committees 9 Voting procedure 10 History 10 1 Precursors 10 2 Revolutionary Dail 1919 1922 10 3 Irish Free State 1922 1937 10 4 Constitution of Ireland since 1937 11 Current composition 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 External linksComposition EditThe Dail has 160 members 4 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 5 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 6 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 7 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 The STV electoral system broadly produces proportional representation in the Dail The small size of the constituencies used however usually gives a small advantage to the larger parties and under represents smaller parties Since the 1990s the norm in the state has been coalition governments Prior to 1989 however one party government by the Fianna Fail party was common The multi seat constituencies required by STV mean that candidates must often compete for election with others from the same party The contest is not zero sum though as two or more candidates of the same party can all be elected 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 voting system were rejected in referendums in 1959 and in 1968 Currently every 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 8 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 Number of members Dail Election TDs1st 1918 1052nd 1921 1803rd 1922 1284th 1923 1535th Jun 1927 1536th Sep 1927 1537th 1932 1538th 1933 1539th 1937 13810th 1938 13811th 1943 13812th 1944 13813th 1948 14714th 1951 14715th 1954 14716th 1957 14717th 1961 14418th 1965 14419th 1969 14420th 1973 14421st 1977 14822nd 1981 16623rd Feb 1982 16624th Nov 1982 16625th 1987 16626th 1989 16627th 1992 16628th 1997 16629th 2002 16630th 2007 16631st 2011 16632nd 2016 15833rd 2020 160The Constituency Commission which reported in 2017 recommended a total of 160 TDs which based on the 2016 census gave an average representation of 29 762 of population per member 9 This report was implemented by the Electoral Amendment Dail Constituencies Act 2017 and took effect at the 2020 general election 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 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 EditThe 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 Following the signing of the 1922 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 Under the treaty a new constitution replaced the 1919 Dail constitution 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 10 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 11 On 29 December 1937 the Irish Free State ceased to exist and was replaced by a new state called Ireland with the coming into force of the new Constitution of Ireland Article 16 5 of the 1937 constitution states that 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 info 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 7 The acceptance of five years as the maximum term for any single Dail was reconfirmed by section 33 of the Electoral Act 1992 which states Consequently the maximum term for the Dail is five years from the date it first met following the last general election Dissolution EditArticle 16 3 2º 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 2º 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 1º 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 Planning and Local Government 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 12 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 13 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 dd 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 14 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 EditThe 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 15 and a House of Representatives A dail means a meeting tryst or encounter of any kind 16 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 3 17 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 18 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 EditMain article Ceann Comhairle The chairman or presiding member of the Dail is the Ceann Comhairle 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 EditWhile 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 may refer a bill to the Supreme Court of Ireland to test its constitutionality upon consultation with the Council of State If the Court finds that the bill is inconsistent with the Constitution the bill does not become law 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 GeneralActivities Edit Leinster House in Dublin seat of Dail Eireann 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 19 Also the reference to handbagging particularly with reference to a female member of the House has been deemed to be unparliamentary 20 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 21 Committees EditMain article Committees of the Oireachtas 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 AccountsSelect 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 EqualitySpecial committees Edit Special Committee on COVID 19 ResponseVoting procedure EditThe 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 EditPrecursors 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 Main article Dail Eireann Irish Republic 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 Main article Dail Eireann Irish Free State 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 today as Ireland 17 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 22 From September 2021 the Dail returned to sitting in Leinster House Current composition EditMain article Members of the 33rd Dail Party SeatsSinn Fein 36Fianna Fail 36Fine Gael 33Green 12Labour 7Social Democrats 6PBP Solidarity 5Aontu 1RTOC 1Independent 22Ceann Comhairle 1See also EditBicameralism 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 OireachtasNotes EditReferences Edit Dublin TD Joan Collins leaves I4C to found new party Right to Change The Times 31 May 2020 Archived from the original on 25 June 2020 Retrieved 26 June 2020 Dail Oxford Dictionaries UK English Dictionary Oxford University Press dead link a b Article 15 1 2º of the Constitution of Ireland reads The Oireachtas shall consist of the President and two Houses viz a House of Representatives to be called Dail Eireann and a Senate to be called Seanad Eireann Electoral Amendment Dail Constituencies Act 19 s 2 Number of members of Dail Eireann No 39 of 2017 s 2 Signed on 23 December 2017 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book Electoral Act 1992 s 41 Disqualification for membership of Dail No 23 of 1992 s 41 Signed on 5 November 1992 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021 Citizens information Right to vote in Ireland www citizensinformation ie Archived from the original on 27 May 2017 Retrieved 5 May 2017 a b Electoral Act 1992 s 33 Maximum duration of Dail No 23 of 1992 s 33 Signed on 5 November 1992 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021 Electoral Act 1997 s 6 Function of Constituency Commission No 25 of 1997 s 6 Signed on 15 May 1997 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021 Constituency Commission Report 2017 Dail and European Parliament Constituencies PDF Constituency Commission p 15 Archived PDF from the original on 5 August 2021 Retrieved 5 August 2021 Constitution Amendment No 4 Act 1927 s 1 Extension of duration of Dail Eireann No 5 of 1927 s 1 Signed on 4 March 1927 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021 Electoral Amendment Act 1927 s 7 Maximum duration of the Oireachtas No 21 of 1927 s 7 Signed on 22 May 1927 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 28 March 2020 Electoral Act 1992 s 39 Issue and return of writs No 23 of 1992 s 39 Signed on 5 November 1992 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021 Electoral Act 1992 s 96 Times of poll No 23 of 1992 s 96 Signed on 5 November 1992 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021 Electoral Act 1992 s 2 Interpretation No 23 of 1992 s 2 Signed on 5 November 1992 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 August 2021 The Statesman s Year Book Archived 29 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine 1930 page 77 Connolly S J ed 2004 The Oxford Campanion to Irish History 2nd pbk ed Oxford University Press p 141 ISBN 9780192805010 a b Constitution of Ireland Office of the Attorney General Archived from the original on 3 May 2019 Retrieved 9 November 2011 Irish Grammar Database dail www teanglann ie Archived from the original on 27 September 2015 Retrieved 26 September 2015 Salient Rulings of the Chair 2nd ed Dublin Dail Eireann May 2002 408 Dail code handbagging not allowed The Irish Times 12 December 2009 Archived from the original on 25 October 2010 Retrieved 13 December 2009 Personal Apology by Deputy Houses of the Oireachtas 11 December 2009 Archived from the original on 9 November 2019 Retrieved 9 November 2019 Hosford Paul 15 July 2021 Dail back in Leinster House on Sept 15 after summer break Irish Examiner Retrieved 16 July 2022 External links EditHouses of the Oireachtas Official website Members of Dail Eireann 1919 to the present Oireachtas website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dail Eireann amp oldid 1139585492, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.