Dáil Éireann
Contents |
30th Dáil
Type
Type Lower house of Oireachtas
Leadership
Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk, (Fianna Fáil)
since 13 October 2009
Chief Whip John Curran, (Fianna Fáil)
Structure
Members 166
Political groups Fianna Fáil (71)
Fine Gael (51)
Labour Party (20)
Green Party (6)
Sinn Féin (4)
Independents (11)
Ceann Comhairle (1)
Election
Last election 24 May 2007
Meeting place
Dáil chamber
Leinster House, Dublin
Website
www.oireachtas.ie
Dáil Éireann (pronounced /dɔɪl ˈɛərɒn/, Irish: [d̪ˠaːlʲ ˈeːrʲən̪ˠ]) is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house). It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (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.
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 both language versions of the Irish constitution. Since the Dáil was first established in 1919 it has also been described variously as a "National Assembly", a "Chamber of Deputies" and a "House of Representatives".
A dáil means an assembly or parliament, so a literal translation of Dáil Éireann is "Assembly of Ireland". Article 15 of Ireland's constitution describes the body as "a House of Representatives to be called Dáil Éireann" (Teach Ionadóirí ar a dtugtar Dáil Éireann). For this reason Dáil Éireann is often translated as "House of Representatives". The literal Irish translation of House of Representatives is "Teach Ionadóirí".
In common usage the word Dáil is accompanied by the definite article but Dáil Éireann is not. So one speaks of "the Dáil" but not "the Dáil Éireann".
Composition
Republic of Ireland
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Dáil Éireann has 166 members. Members are directly elected at least once in every five years by the people of the Republic of Ireland under a system of proportional representation known as Single Transferable Vote. Membership of the Dáil is open to citizens who are 21 or older. A member of the Dáil is known as a Teachta Dála, TD or Deputy.
The Dáil electorate consists of Irish and United Kingdom citizens over 18 years of age who are registered to vote in the Republic of Ireland. Under the Constitution of Ireland a general election for Dáil Éireann must occur once in every seven years, but a five year limit is currently specified by statute. The Taoiseach (head of government) can, by making a request to the president, effectively dissolve the Dáil at any time, in which case a general election must occur within thirty days.
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. This increases voter choice but is accused by some of producing TDs who are excessively parochial. Two failed attempts — 1959 and 1968 — have been made to change to the British Plurality voting system ('First-past-the-post') electoral system. Both were rejected in referendums. By-elections occur under the Alternative Vote system.
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 (Section 6 of the Electoral Act 1997) places a maximum size of five members on constituencies. 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 usually followed. Malapportionment is forbidden by the constitution.
Number of members
Under the Constitution of Ireland there must never be fewer than one TD for every thirty thousand of the population, nor more than one for every twenty thousand. In the 29th Dáil there was one TD for every 25,000 citizens, this is in line with many other EU member state national parliament ratios with Malta having one MP for every 6,000 citizens and Spain having one MP for every 130,000 citizens. Ireland has a similar MP to Citizen ratio to Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. With the adoption of the current constitution in 1937 the membership of the Dáil was reduced from 153 to 138, but in the 1960s the number was increased to 144, only to be increased more substantially in 1981 to the current figure of 166.
Duration of Dáil Éireann
The First Dáil Éireann was established in 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. However, this constitution also provided mechanism allowed the Oireachtas to ratify constitutional amendments by way of primary legislation of the Oireachtas, without the need for such amendments to first be approved in a referendum. This provision was to stay in force for a period of eight years after the Free State constitution came into force (ie 6 December 1930).
In 1927 the Oireachtas passed the Constitution (Amendment No 4) Act. This amended Article 28 of the Free State Constitution to extend the maximum term of Dáil Éireann from four years to six years "or such shorter period as may be fixed by legislation". Later that same year the Oireachtas enacted the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1927 (No 21 of 1927). Section 7 of that Act stated that the "maximum duration of the Oireachtas without a dissolution shall be five years reckoned from the date of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann after the last previous dissolution".
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". Despite this increase in the potential maximum term of the Dáil to seven years, Section 7 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1927 remained in force under the new constitution, as it applied to the term of the Dáil. As a result the maximum term of the Dáil remained 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.
Article 16.3.2 of the 1937 constitution provides that an election for the membership of Dáil Éireann must take place not later than 30 days after a dissolution of the current Dáil. Article 16.4.2 of the 1937 constitution 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.
Term of the 30th Dáil Éireann
The 29th Dáil was dissolved on 29 April 2007, and the general election for the members of the 30th Dáil took place on 24 May 2007 (25 days after dissolution). The 30th Dáil met for the first time on 14 June 2007 (21 days after the election). Therefore, the current 30th Dáil must be dissolved on or before 14 June 2012 (five years from the day it first met). The general election for members of the 31st Dáil must take place on or before the 14 July 2012 (30 days after dissolution) and the 31st Dáil must meet on or before 13 August 2012 (30 after the election). No previous Dáil has been allowed to dissolve 'automatically' by exceeding the maximum time for its term under the law. Constitutionally, the Taoiseach may advise the President to dissolve the Dáil and call a general election at any point he chooses before the end of the maximum five year term.