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Elections:
-Presidential, 2004
-Legislative, 2002 The Coat of Arms of the Republic of Ireland This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ...
The Republic of Ireland is a sovereign, independent state. ...
The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of the Republic of Ireland. ...
The Council of State (Irish: Comhairle Stáit) is an organ established by the Constitution of Ireland to advise the President of Ireland in the exercise of many of her discretionary, reserve powers. ...
This article is about the modern legislature. ...
Dáil Éireann is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland1. ...
The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet1. ...
The Tánaiste (plural: Tánaistithe), or more formally An Tánaiste, is the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Ireland1. ...
The Supreme Court (Irish: Chúirt Uachtarach) is the highest judicial authority in the Republic of Ireland. ...
The High Court of the Republic of Ireland is a court which deals at first instance with the most serious and important civil and criminal cases, and also acts as a court of appeal for civil cases in the Circuit Court. ...
The courts system in the Republic of Ireland consists of the Supreme Court, the High Court and a number of lower courts. ...
An amendment may be made to any part of Bunreacht na hÉireann, the constitution of the Republic of Ireland, but only by referendum. ...
Political parties in the Republic of Ireland lists political parties in the Republic of Ireland. ...
Elections in the Republic of Ireland gives information on election and election results in the Republic of Ireland. ...
The date for Irelands presidential election was set for 22 October 2004. ...
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, May 17, 2002. ...
| Seanad Éireann (English: Senate of Ireland), the Irish Senate, is the upper house of the Oireachtas: the parliament of the Republic of Ireland1. Unlike the lower house, Dáil Éireann, the Senate is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by various methods. Its powers are much weaker than those of the Dáil and it can only delay laws with which it disagrees, rather than veto them outright. It has been located, since its establishment, in Leinster House. An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ...
This article is about the modern legislature. ...
Dáil Éireann is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland1. ...
Leinster House is the former palace of the Duke of Leinster. ...
Composition
Seanad Éireann consists of sixty members: - Eleven appointed by the Taoiseach (prime minister).
- Six elected by the graduates of certain Irish universities:
- Forty-three elected from five special panels of nominees by an electorate consisting of TDs (MPs), senators and local councillors. Each of the five panels consists, in theory, of individuals possessing special knowledge of, or experience in, one of five specific fields:
- Education, the arts, the Irish language and Irish culture and literature.
- Agriculture and the fisheries.
- Labour (organised or otherwise).
- Industry and commerce (including engineering and architecture).
- Public administration and social services (including the voluntary sector).
Under the Constitution of Ireland the general election for the Senate must occur not later than 90 days after the dissolution of Dáil Éireann (the lower house). The election occurs under the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote. Membership is open to all of those who are eligible to be elected to the Dáil, but a senator cannot also be a member of the lower house. The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet1. ...
The National University of Ireland (NUI) is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, as amended by the Universities Act, 1997. ...
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ...
A TD or Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas (pronounced orr-och-tas) or National Parliament. ...
The Constitution of Ireland is the founding legal document of the state known today as the Republic of Ireland. ...
A general election is an election in which all members of a given political body are up for election. ...
Proportional Representation (PR) describes various multi-winner electoral systems which try to ensure that the proportional support gained by different groups is accurately reflected in the election result. ...
The Single Transferable Vote, or STV, is a preference voting system designed to minimise wasted votes in multi-candidate elections while ensuring that votes are explicitly for candidates rather than party lists. ...
Members of the 22nd Seanad (2002-present) Main article: Members of the 22nd Seanad This is a list of members of Seanad Éireann, the Republic of Irelands senate, as of 2004. ...
Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ...
Fine Gael (United Ireland) (IPA in English and in Irish) is the second largest political party in both the Republic of Ireland and Ireland as a whole. ...
Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ...
The Progressive Democrats (in Irish An Páirtí Daonlathach) is a free market liberal party in the Republic of Ireland founded in 1985. ...
Powers The powers of Seanad Éireann are modelled loosely on those of the British House of Lords. It was intended to play an advisory and revising role rather than to be the equal of the popularly elected Dáil. While notionally every Act of the Oireachtas must receive the assent of the Senate, in practice it can only delay rather than veto decisions of the Dáil. The constitution imposes the following specific limitations on the powers of the Senate: This article is about the British House of Lords. ...
- In the event that a bill approved by Dáil Éireann has not received the assent of the Senate within ninety days the Dáil may, within a further 180 days, resolve that the measure is 'deemed' to have be approved by the Senate.
- A money bill, such as the budget, may be deemed to have been approved by the Senate after twenty-one days.
- In the case of an urgent bill, the time that must have expired before it can be deemed to have been approved by the Senate may be abridged by the Government, with the concurrence of the President (this does not apply to bills to amend the constitution, however).
- The fact that eleven senators are appointed by the Taoiseach usually ensures that the Government, which must have the support of the Dáil, also enjoys a majority in the Senate.
The constitution does, however, grant to the Senate certain means by which it may defend its prerogatives against an overly zealous Dáil: In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ...
The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of the Republic of Ireland. ...
- The Senate may, by a resolution, ask the President to appoint a Committee of Privileges to adjudicate as to whether or not a particular bill is a money bill. The President may, however, refuse this request.
- If a majority of senators and at least one-third of the members of the Dáil present a petition to the President stating that a bill is of great 'national importance' the President can decline to sign the bill until it has been 'referred to the people'. This means that they can refuse to sign it until it has been approved either in an ordinary referendum or by the Dáil after it has reassembled after a general election.
The ordinary referendum is a referendum in the Republic of Ireland in which the President may refer a bill directly to the electorate before it becomes law. ...
Activities Seanad Éireann adopts its own standing orders and appoints its president, known as the 'Cathaoirleach' (Chairperson), and a Leader of the Seanad. The Senate establishes its own standing committees and senators also participate, along with TDs (members of the Dáil) in joint committees of the Oireachtas. A maximum of two senators may be ministers in the Government. The Senate currently has three standing committees, one of which has two sub-committees: Rules of order, also known as standing orders or rules of procedure, are the written rules of parliamentary procedure adopted by a deliberative body, which detail the processes used by the body to make decisions. ...
Cathaoirleach (pronounced, ka-here-loch) is the title of the speaker of the sixty-member Irish upper house, Seanad Éireann (pronounced External link Official website Categories: Government stubs ...
A TD or Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas (pronounced orr-och-tas) or National Parliament. ...
- Committee of Selection
- Committee on Procedure and Privileges
- Sub-Committee on Members Services
- Sub-Committee on Seanad Reform
- Committee on Members' Interests of Seanad Éireann
Historical origins
Early precursors The first parliamentary upper house in Ireland was the House of Lords of the Parliament of Ireland. Like its British counter-part, this house consisted of hereditary nobles. After the abolition of the Irish Parliament under the Act of Union of 1800 no parliament existed in Ireland until the 20th century. The former House of Lords chamber in the Irish Parliament Building, today in use as a function room by the Bank of Ireland. ...
This article is about the legislature abolished in 1801. ...
The 1800 Act of Union merged the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain (itself a merger of England and Scotland under the Act of Union 1707) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801. ...
In 1919 Irish nationalists established an extra-legal legislature called Dáil Éireann but this body was unicameral and so had no upper house. In 1920 the Parliament of Southern Ireland was established by British law with an upper house called the Senate. The Senate of Southern Ireland consisted of a mixture of Irish peers and government appointees. The Senate convened in 1921 but was boycotted by Irish nationalists and so never became fully operational. It was formally abolished with the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 but a number of its members were soon appointed to the new Free State senate. 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ...
1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...
The Parliament of Southern Ireland was set up under the Government of Ireland Act to legislate for Southern Ireland. ...
The Senate of Southern Ireland (1921-1922) was the upper house of the Parliament of Southern Ireland theoretically established by the 1920 Government of Ireland Act. ...
1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
Free State Seanad Éireann (1922-1936) Main article: Free State Seanad Éireann. Seanad Éireann (English: Senate of Ireland) was the upper house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Irish Free State from 1922-1936. ...
The name Seanad Éireann was first used as the title of the upper house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. The first Seanad consisted of a mixture of members appointed by the President of the Executive Council and members indirectly elected by the Dáil, and President W.T. Cosgrave agreed to use his appointments to grant extra representation to the state's Protestant minority. It was intended that eventually the entire membership of the Senate would be directly elected by the public but after only one election, in 1925, this system was abandoned in favour of a form of indirect election. The Free State Senate was abolished entirely in 1936. The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and Irish...
The President of the Executive Council (Irish: Uachtaráin na hArd-Chomhairle) was the title of the prime minister in the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922-37. ...
William Thomas Cosgrave, (June 6, 1880 - November 16, 1965) served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. ...
1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Constitution of Ireland (1937-present) The modern Seanad Éireann was established by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. When this document was adopted it was decided to preserve the titles of Oireachtas, for the legislature, and Seanad Éireann, for the upper house, that had been used during the Irish Free State. This new Seanad was considered to be the direct successor of the Free State Seanad and so the first Seanad convened under the new constitution was referred to as the "Second Seanad".
The new system of vocational panels used to nominate candidates for the Senate was inspired by Roman Catholic social teaching of the 1930s, and in particular the 1931 papal encyclical Quadragesimo Anno. In this document Pope Pius XI argued that the Marxist concept of class conflict should be replaced with a vision of social order based on the cooperation and interdependence of society's various vocational groups. 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...
Quadragesimo Anno is an encyclical by Pope Pius XI, issued 15 May 1931, 40 years after Rerum Novarum (thus the name, Latin for the fortieth year). Written as a response to the Great Depression, it calls for the establishment of a social order based on the principle of subsidiarity. ...
His Holiness Pope Pius XI, born Achille Ratti (May 31, 1857 - February 10, 1939), reigned as Pope and sovereign of Vatican City from February 6, 1922 until February 10, 1939. ...
Calls for reform Since 1928 twelve separate official reports have been published on reform of the Seanad, and in the past some, including the Progressive Democrats, have called for the outright abolition of the house. The post-1937 body has been criticised on a number of grounds. The Senate is accused of being weak and dominated by the Government of the day. There are also allegations of patronage in the selection of its members, with the senators often being close allies of the Taoiseach or TDs who have failed to be elected to the Dáil. 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The Progressive Democrats (in Irish An Páirtí Daonlathach) is a free market liberal party in the Republic of Ireland founded in 1985. ...
Generally, patronage is the act of supporting or favoring some person, group, or institution. ...
A TD or Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas (pronounced orr-och-tas) or National Parliament. ...
It has also become widely accepted that the system of vocational panels has not functioned as was originally intended. It is said that candidates seldom have any particular experience relevant to the panel from which they are elected and that, because, despite the vocational nomination process, it is politicians who actually elect the Senate, the election of most senators is an overtly political process dominated by party affiliation.
The universities have a long tradition of electing independent candidates. Nonetheless, many have argued that the system of university senators is elitist. Some, like the pressure group Graduate Equality, argue that the franchise for electing university senators should be extended to the graduates of all third level institutions. Others believe that this does not go far enough and that at least some portion of the Senate should be directly elected by all adult citizens. Calls have also been made for the Senate to be used to represent Irish emigrants or the people of Northern Ireland. In the past Taoisigh (prime ministers) have often used their nominations to appoint respected people from Northern Ireland, such as the late peace campaigner Gordon Wilson, and Seamus Mallon and Joe Hendron of the SDLP. Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ...
Gordon Wilson is the name of: Gordon Wilson (Scottish politician) - Former leader of the Scottish National Party. ...
Seamus Mallon (born 17 August 1936) is Northern Ireland politician and former Deputy Leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party. ...
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP — Irish: Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is the smaller of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. ...
The precise composition of the Senate was originally fixed by the constitution. However in 1979 the Seventh Amendment was adopted. This empowered the Oireachtas to extend the franchise for the election of the six university senators to the graduates of additional institutions by ordinary legislation. The intention at the time was that all third level graduates would be given the right to vote in senatorial elections but to date no such provision has yet been made. 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ...
The Seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, the founding legal document of the Republic of Ireland, provided that the procedure for the election of six members of the Senate by university graduates could be altered by law. ...
The most recent official report on Seanad reform was made in April 2004 by a Senate subcommittee, and there has been speculation that it has a better chance of success than many of its predecessors. The Report on Seanad Reform recommended no changes to the powers of the Senate. However it recommended that the vocational panels be abolished, that 32 seats should be filled by direct elections, that the franchise for electing university senators should be extended to all third level graduates, and that the Taoiseach should be formally required to use his nominees to represent Northern Ireland, the diaspora and marginalised groups. It also suggested that the senate be given new functions, such as a greater role scrutinising the Government and EU legislation. The European Union is unique among international organizations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ...
Famous Irish senators Douglas Hyde (Ir: Dubhghlas de hÍde [doog-las de heeja]) (January 17, 1860 - July 12, 1949) was a Gaelic scholar who served as the first President of Ireland (1938-1945). ...
A 1907 engraving of Yeats. ...
James Henry Mussen Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy (April 4, 1851) - (March 22, 1931) was an Irish lawyer and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. ...
Seamus Mallon (born 17 August 1936) is Northern Ireland politician and former Deputy Leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party. ...
Mary Robinson is also the name of an English poet, see Mary Robinson (poet) Mary Robinson (born 21 May 1944) was the first female President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. ...
This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Dr. Garret FitzGerald (Irish: Gearóid MacGearailt) (born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland. ...
Noel Browne (20 December 1915-21 May 1997) was an Irish politician and doctor. ...
Dr. James Ryan (December 6, 1891 - September 25, 1970), was a senior Irish politician. ...
Eoin Ryan (June 12, 1920-December 14, 2001) was an Irish politician. ...
Eoin Ryan (born February 24, 1953) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ...
Footnote - Seanad Éireann may be roughly pronounced by English speakers as "shanad air-inn".
Related topics The Republic of Ireland is a sovereign, independent state. ...
A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ...
In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ...
University constituencies existed from 1603 until 1950 to allow a University to be represented in the United Kingdom Parliament. ...
External links - Report on Reform of the Seanad (http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/committees29thdail/subcomonseanadreform/Report_on_Reform_of_the_Seanad.pdf). Report of Seanad Éireann Committee on Procedure and Privileges Sub-Committee on Seanad Reform, from official Oireachtas website (http://www.oireachtas.ie).
- Graduate Equality website (http://www.graduateequality.com/)
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