Dil Eireann also called The Dil is the

Dáil Eireann, also called The Dáil, is the Lower House of the Oireachtas. The Oireachtas is the legislature of Ireland. A legislature is a group with the authority to make laws for a country or city. Although the name Dáil Éireann is taken from the Irish language, it is the official title in Irish and English. However, if translated it means “Assembly of Ireland. ” The Irish constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, describes the Dáil as a House of Representatives. This is because members of the Dáil have been elected to represent the people in different areas across Ireland.

How Is the Dáil Elected? Under Irish law, the Dáil may not continue for longer than five years. A general election must be held at least every five years, and all Irish and British citizens who live in Ireland are aged 18 years or over are entitled to vote. The Members of Dáil Éireann are elected by the people of Ireland in a general election. For the purpose of general elections, Ireland is divided into 40 areas known as constituencies. A constituency is a group of voters in an area who elect a Teachta Dála (TD) to represent them in the Dáil. Each constituency may elect three, four or five TDs. “Polls” by [KOMUnews] is licensed under CC BY 2. 0

How Is the Dáil Elected? To be elected to the Dáil, a TD must a achieve the quota which is calculated from the number of votes and the number of seats available in the Dáil. If a TD achieves the quota, he or she is elected to the Dáil. Ireland uses a voting system called a single transferable vote. Voters choose their preferred candidate, then choose their second preference, and so on. Following a general election, the political party which wins the majority of the seats will form the government. The majority means more than half of the seats. Therefore, in the Dáil of 158 seats, a party needs to secure 80 seats to form a government. If one political party does not win a majority of the seats in the Dáil, they can agree to join with another party to achieve a majority. These parties agree to form a government and work together. This is called a coalition government.

The Government Following a general election, a prospective Taoiseach must secure the support of a majority within the Dáil. If one party has the majority of the seats, then the prospective Taoiseach is formally appointed by the President. If a party does not have a majority, they must secure it by gaining the support of other parties. The Taoiseach then chooses Ministers of State. Ministers are delegated responsibility of particular government departments, like finance, health and education. TDs in the Dáil who are not part of the government are known as the Opposition.

Political Parties in the Dáil Fine Gael Independent Alliance Fianna Fáil Sinn Féin Labour Party Solidarity (People Before Profit) Independents 4 Change Green Party Social Democrats Aontú There also a number of Independent TDs. These TDs are not associated with a political party.

Layout of the Dáil The Dáil chamber has confrontational benches. These are benches which are facing one another. The end segment is curved to create a partial hemicycle. A hemicycle is a semi-circular or horseshoe-shaped debating chamber where TDs sit to discuss and pass laws. The Ceann Comhairle is seated in the centre of the chamber. The government TDs sit on the Ceann Comhairle’s left, with the main opposition party on his right. The Dáil’s chamber was adapted for use as a Parliament from its former use as a lecture theatre. “Dáil Chamber” by [Tommy Kavanagh] is licensed under CC BY 2. 0

Dáil Meetings The Dáil normally meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Since 1922, the Dáil has met in Leinster House in Dublin. A quorum, or minimum number of members, required to begin a Dáil sitting is 20, except on a Friday sitting when the minimum needed is 10. “Dáil” by [House of the Oireachtas] is licensed under CC BY 2. 0

Members of the Dáil Taoiseach Tanáiste Ceann Comhairle Teachta Dála (TD) Minister Chief Whip

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of the Irish Government. Essentially, the Taoiseach is the Prime Minister of Ireland. The word Taoiseach means chief or leader in Irish. The term was adopted by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937 as the title for the head of the government. The term Taoiseach only refers to the head of the Irish government. A prime minister of another country is not called a Taoiseach. Leo Varadkar is the current Taoiseach. Following his election as leader of Fine Gael, an Irish political party, he assumed the office of Taoiseach in June 2017. He is the youngest Taoiseach in Ireland’s history, having taken office at the age of 38.

Tanáiste The Tanáiste is deputy to the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach nominates a member of the Dáil for the position of Tanáiste. The President of Ireland then formally appoints the Tánaiste to the position. The Tanáiste fulfils the duties of the Taoiseach during his or her temporary absence. In the event of the death of a Taoiseach, the Tanáiste assumes the role on a temporary basis, until another Taoiseach is appointed. The current Tanáiste is Simon Coveney, a TD who represents Cork South. Central.

Ceann Comhairle The Ceann Comhairle acts as the Chairperson of the Dáil. He or she is the sole judge of order in the Dáil. After a general election, the Ceann Comhairle is elected by the newly formed government. The Ceann Comhairle is chosen from the TDs, but is expected to be impartial and give fair representation to all members of the Dáil. The current serving Ceann Comhairle is Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who has been a TD for the Kildare South constituency since 2002. The deputy to the Ceann Comhairle is know as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. “Ceann Comhairle” by [Houses of the Oireachtas] is licensed under CC BY 2. 0

Teachta Dála A Dáil Member’s official Irish title is Teachta Dála, which in English means Deputy to the Dáil. Members are generally called TDs or Deputies. The Constitution of Ireland insists that there must be at least one TD for every 20, 000 to 30, 000 people. At present, there are 158 TDs who represent 40 different constituencies across the Ireland. Under Irish law, TDs are elected at least once every five years by the Irish people. TDs provide a link between their constituents and the Government and Oireachtas. When an issue is brought to the attention of a TD, they may raise it in the Dáil. Most TDs are members of a political party, but many are Independents. “Michael Martin” by [Oireachtas] is licensed under CC BY 2. 0

Minister The Taoiseach appoints TDs to be Ministers and Ministers of State (also known as Junior Ministers). These TDs are appointed as the head of a government department and are responsible for managing matters within their department. The group of senior Ministers chosen by the Taoiseach is called The Cabinet is responsible for government policy. The Cabinet oversees and manages the work of different government departments. Some ministerial roles include the Minster for Finance, the Minster for Justice and Equality, the Minster for Health, and the Minster for Children and Youth Affairs. TDs who are given ministries are known as the Government Front Bench. TDs who are not given a ministerial position are known as Back Benchers. “Simon Harris” by [Oireachtas] is licensed under CC BY 2. 0

Chief Whip A whip is an elected member of a political party whose task is to ensure discipline during meetings of the Dáil. The whip must also ensure that all TDs and Ministers attend for Dáil Business. The government whip is called the Chief Whip. This is the whip of the political party with the majority of representatives in the Dáil. The Chief Whip must attend all government meetings; however, he or she is an impartial member of the Dáil and cannot vote during meetings. The Chief Whip also prepares a weekly brief for the Taoiseach on current affairs and upcoming legislation (laws). Seán Kyne is the current Government Chief Whip. Each political party has a whip. They maintain party discipline during meetings of the Dáil. “Seán Kyne” by [EU 2017 EE Estonian Presidency] is licensed under CC BY 2. 0