34th Dáil
34th Dáil | |||
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Overview | |||
Legislative body | Dáil Éireann | ||
Jurisdiction | Ireland | ||
Meeting place | Leinster House | ||
Term | 18 December 2024 – present | ||
Election | 2024 general election | ||
Government |
| ||
Members | 174 | ||
Ceann Comhairle | Verona Murphy | ||
Taoiseach | Micheál Martin | ||
Tánaiste | Simon Harris | ||
Chief Whip | Mary Butler | ||
Leader of the Opposition | Mary Lou McDonald | ||
Sessions | |||
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The 34th Dáil was elected at the 2024 general election on 29 November 2024 and first met on 18 December 2024. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland, are known as TDs. It will sit with the 27th Seanad as the Houses of the Oireachtas. There are 174 TDs in the 34th Dáil, an increase of 14 from the 33rd Dáil.
The 34th Dáil must be dissolved by the president at the request of the taoiseach within five years of its first sitting. It has lasted 42 days to date.
Composition
[edit]Party | Nov. 2024[a] | Dec. 2024[b] | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|
● | Fianna Fáil | 48 | 48 | |
Sinn Féin | 39 | 39 | ||
● | Fine Gael | 38 | 38 | |
Social Democrats | 11 | 10 | 1 | |
Labour | 11 | 11 | ||
Independent Ireland | 4 | 4 | ||
PBP–Solidarity | 3 | 3 | ||
Aontú | 2 | 2 | ||
Green | 1 | 1 | ||
100% Redress | 1 | 1 | ||
Independent[c] | 16 | 16 | ||
Ceann Comhairle | — | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 174 |
Government coalition parties denoted with bullets (●)
- ^ Seats won at the 2024 general election.
- ^ Composition of the Dáil following the election of Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle.
- ^ 9 independents form part of the government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Ceann Comhairle
[edit]The first order of business of the 34th Dáil was to elect a new Ceann Comhairle. Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who had held the office in the 32nd and 33rd Dáil, John McGuinness, Verona Murphy and Aengus Ó Snodaigh were nominated. Murphy was elected as Ceann Comhairle, the first woman to hold the role.[1][2]
Political leadership
[edit]Government
[edit]- Taoiseach
- Micheál Martin (23 January 2025 to date)
- Tánaiste
- Simon Harris (23 January 2025)
- Leader of Fianna Fáil
- Micheál Martin (26 January 2011 to date)
- Leader of Fine Gael
- Simon Harris (20 March 2024 to date)
Opposition
[edit]- Leader of Sinn Féin
- Mary Lou McDonald (10 February 2018 to date)
- Leader of the Labour Party
- Ivana Bacik (24 March 2022 to date)
- Leader of the Social Democrats
- Holly Cairns (1 March 2023 to date)
- Leader of Aontú
- Peadar Tóibín (28 January 2019 to date; founding leader)
- Leader of Independent Ireland
- Michael Collins (10 November 2023 to date; founding leader)
- Leader of the Green Party
- Roderic O'Gorman (18 June 2024 to date)
List of TDs
[edit]Of the 174 TDs, over sixty were elected for the first time;[3] 44 are women (25%) and 130 are men.[4]
^ +: Elected for the first time at the 2024 general election.
^ ‡: Previously served as member of the Dáil non-consecutively to the current consecutive terms of office.
^ #: Member of the 26th Seanad at time of election.
^ §: Returned automatically without standing for election as outgoing Ceann Comhairle, in accordance with Article 16.6 of the Constitution of Ireland.[5]
Technical groups
[edit]Independent Group
[edit]On 7 December, three independent TDs formed a technical group with Independent Ireland TDs called the Independent Group.[7] On 22 January 2025, after leaving the Regional Independent Group due to a disagreement over speaking rights, Aontú stated that they had joined the Independent group.[8]
Group or party | Name | Constituency | |
---|---|---|---|
Independent (1) | Paul Gogarty | Dublin Mid-West | |
Independent Ireland (4) | Michael Collins | Cork South-West | |
Michael Fitzmaurice | Roscommon–Galway | ||
Richard O'Donoghue | Limerick County | ||
Ken O'Flynn | Cork North-Central | ||
Aontú (2) | Peadar Tóibín | Meath West | |
Paul Lawless | Mayo |
Independents and Smaller Parties Group
[edit]On 11 December, a technical group was created between three independent TDs, People Before Profit–Solidarity, and 100% Redress.[9][10] The Green Party's leader and sole TD Roderic O'Gorman joined the group on 23 January 2025 after leaving his ministerial post.[11]
Former groups
[edit]Regional Independent Group
[edit]On 4 December, eight TDs formed a technical group called the Regional Independent Group.[12] Both Aontú TDs and Carol Nolan later joined the group.[13][14] Verona Murphy was originally a member of the group, but as Ceann Comhairle she cannot be a member of a technical group. Mattie McGrath joined the group in January 2025. On 22 January 2025, Aontú left the group amid a disagreement over speaking rights.[8] On 23 January 2025, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy confirmed that she would not recognise the group in the Dáil at a sitting to elect a new Taoiseach.[15]
Changes
[edit]Date | Constituency | Loss | Gain | Note | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 December 2024 | Dublin Bay South | Social Democrats | Independent | Eoin Hayes suspended from the party[18] | ||
18 December 2024 | Wexford | Independent | Ceann Comhairle | Verona Murphy elected Ceann Comhairle[19] |
References
[edit]- ^ Lehane, Mícheál (18 December 2024). "Verona Murphy pledges to be 'reforming Ceann Comhairle'". RTÉ News. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Selection of Candidate and Election of Ceann Comhairle". Dáil Debates. 18 December 2024.
- ^ "More than 60 first-time TDs elected to the Dáil". RTÉ News. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ Loughlin, Elaine (2 December 2024). "With just one female TD, why are women not getting elected in Cork?". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ Electoral Act 1992, s. 36: Re-election of outgoing Chairman of Dáil (No. 23 of 1992, s. 36). Enacted on 5 November 1992. Act of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 June 2020.
- ^ "Report as to issue of Writs and Announcement as to Returns". Dáil Debates. 18 December 2024.
- ^ Hickey, Emma (7 December 2024). "Healy-Raes and Paul Gogarty join forces with Independent Ireland in Dáil technical grouping". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ a b Manning, Harry (22 January 2025). "Aontú TDs leave Regional Independent Dáil grouping". RTÉ News. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Ganly, Conor (13 December 2024). "Laois TD Brian Stanley aligns with high profile outspoken left-wing TDs in new Dáil". Laois Live. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ Gavan Reilly [@gavreilly] (11 December 2024). "PBP, Catherine Connolly, Seamus Healy, Charles Ward and Brian Stanley have formed an 'Independents & Parties Group'" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Regan, Mary (21 January 2025). "Explained: Technical groups and the Dáil speaking rights row". RTÉ. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Boland, Lauren (4 December 2024). "Eight independent TDs form 'Regional Group' amid government formation talks". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ Hickey, Emma (8 December 2024). "Aontú joins Dáil technical grouping 'Regional Group' as formation talks ramp up". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ Ganly, Conor (11 December 2024). "Recent Laois Offaly TD looks set to be in Government". Laois Live. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Lowry's independents will not be recognised as opposition group when the Dáil resumes today".
- ^ "leaves four Regional Independents, Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Danny Healy-Rae, as well as independents Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath remaining in the Regional Technical Group". RTÉ News. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "Opposition TDs criticise 'farcical' Dáil speaking rights ahead of taoiseach nomination". BreakingNews.ie. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ Hurley, Sandra (10 December 2024). "TD Eoin Hayes suspended by Soc Dems with immediate effect". RTÉ News. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ Lehane, Mícheál (18 December 2024). "Verona Murphy elected new Ceann Comhairle on third count". RTÉ News. Retrieved 18 December 2024.