Front Bench (Ireland)
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Front Bench (Ireland)
A front bench () in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland, refers to any organised group of party members who holds any degree of speaking power (derived from the party) on specific issues. This includes government ministers and party spokespersons. The Teachtaí Dála (TDs) who are members of the Government of Ireland constitutes the "government front bench", while members of parties in declared opposition to the government constitute the "opposition front bench". By comparison, members of a governing or opposition party, who are not ministers or spokespersons, are typically said to the represent the "back benches". Third parties (those who may not be in government or opposition) may only have power to speak or be recognised by the Ceann Comhairle if such parties number at least five TDs. In order to attain the right to speak in session, parties and independents with fewer members can ally themselves into coalitions known as technical groups. Despite the f ...
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Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) 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).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." It consists of 160 members, each known as a (plural , 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 ...
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Fine Gael Front Bench
Fine Gael is the third largest political party in the Oireachtas The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of: *The President of Ireland *The bicameralism, two houses of the Oireachtas .... The Fine Gael leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. When Fine Gael was in opposition, the front bench areas of responsibility broadly corresponded to those of Government ministers. Fine Gael has been in Government since March 2011 and accordingly their front bench consists of the ministerial officeholders. In 2020 a number of non ministerial office holders were appointed as spokespeople for policy areas where Fine Gael does not have a minister. Fine Gael Ministers Ministers of Government On 27 June 2020, six Fine Gael TDs were appointed to the 32nd Government of Ireland. Ministers of State On 27 June 2020, the ...
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Technical Group
In politics, a technical group or mixed group is a heterogenous parliamentary group composed of elected officials from political parties of differing ideologies (or independent of any party) who are not numerous enough to form groups on their own. They are formed for technical reasons so that members enjoy rights or benefits that would remain unavailable to them outside a formally recognised parliamentary group. A technical group is distinguished from political groups by differing ideologies. Ireland In Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Irish national parliament, the Oireachtas), prior to 2016, only parliamentary groups with seven TDs or more had full speaking rights under the house's standing orders. This meant that smaller parties and independent politicians would be unable to speak as often as parties with enough deputies to form their own groups. Prior to 1997, a technical group automatically came into being if there were seven or more independent TDs. From 1997, a g ...
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Labour Party Front Bench (Ireland)
The Labour Party is the fifth-largest political party in the Oireachtas. The Labour Party leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. When the Labour Party was in Government their front bench consisted of the ministerial officeholders. The Labour Party has been in opposition since March 2016 and accordingly, their front bench areas of responsibility broadly correspond to those of Government ministers. The current front bench was announced on 7 July 2020, consisting of TDs and Senators. The 2016–2020 front bench additionally featured former TDs and sitting County Councillors. Labour Party Frontbench Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Local Government See also *Fianna Fáil Front Bench * Fine Gael Front Bench * Green Party Front Bench *Sinn Féin Front Bench Sinn Féin is the second largest political party in the Oireachtas and largest in Dáil Éireann. The Sinn Féin leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for th ...
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Sinn Féin Front Bench
Sinn Féin is the second largest political party in the Oireachtas and largest in Dáil Éireann. The Sinn Féin leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly correspond to those of Government ministers. Sinn Féin Front Bench Following Micheál Martin's appointment as Taoiseach on 27 June 2020, Mary Lou McDonald became the second President of Sinn Féin and first woman to hold the role of Leader of the Opposition. On 2 July 2020, Mary Lou McDonald announced the new frontbench team, including the roles of Pádraig Mac Lochlainn Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (; born 12 June 1973) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since the 2020 general election, and previously from 2011 to 2016 for the Donegal North-East constit ... and Aengus Ó Snodaigh who will be in attendance at front bench meetings. Front Bench spokespersons Chief Whip Jun ...
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Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)
The Opposition Front Bench in Ireland are the front (and most visible) benches of the parties outside the Government. Since the 2020 general election, the following parties occupy the front benches on the opposition side: *Sinn Féin Front Bench * Labour Party Front Bench * Social Democrats Front Bench * Solidarity–People Before Profit Front Bench See also * Front bench (Ireland) *Technical group References Politics of the Republic of Ireland Parliamentary opposition Oireachtas Front benches in the Oireachtas Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
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Green Party Front Bench (Ireland)
The Green Party/Comhaontas Glas is the fourth-largest political party in the Oireachtas. The party has twelve TDs, four Senators, two MEPs, two MLAs and fifty six members of local government (forty eight in the Republic of Ireland and eight in Northern Ireland). 2020–present 2019–2020 2016–2019 2012–2016 2007–2011 2002–2007 See also *Fianna Fáil Front Bench *Fine Gael Front Bench * Labour Party Front Bench *Sinn Féin Front Bench References {{Green Party (Ireland) Front Bench In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then kn ... Front benches in the Oireachtas ...
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Fianna Fáil Front Bench
Fianna Fáil is the largest political party in the Oireachtas. On 12 April 2011 party leader Micheál Martin appointed his second front bench, consisting of all 20 of the party's Teachtaí Dála (TDs) and one local councillor, to be spokespersons on areas corresponding to the various government departments. This was the second front bench appointed by Martin in 10 weeks: on 31 January 2011 he had appointed a team of TDs, senators, councillors and Fianna Fáil election candidates as party spokespersons on different issues in advance of the 2011 general election campaign. In that campaign six sitting front bench TDs, including the deputy leader Mary Hanafin, were not re-elected. Positions also reflected the restructuring of government departments by the incoming Fine Gael- Labour Party coalition. In May 2016 Martin announced his third front bench. Overview Fianna Fáil is the largest opposition party in the Dáil and therefore that party's leader takes the title Leader of th ...
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Government Of The 33rd Dáil
There were two Governments of the 33rd Dáil, which was formed on 27 June 2020, following negotiations on a programme for government for a coalition government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party that followed the 2020 general election to Dáil Éireann held on 8 February. The 32nd Government of Ireland (27 June 2020 to 17 December 2022) was led by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin as Taoiseach and the 33rd Government of Ireland (17 December 2022 to present) being led by the leader of Fine Gael, Leo Varadkar, as Taoiseach. It was agreed that the 32nd government would last until 17 December 2022, after which the positions would rotate, with Varadkar forming a new government as Taoiseach, and Martin serving as Tánaiste. It is the first time that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have participated in the same government, which Varadkar described as the end of what has often been referred to as Civil War politics. The 32nd Government lasted days. 32nd Government of Irela ...
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Lower House
A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise exert significant political influence. The lower house, typically, is the larger of the two chambers, meaning its members are more numerous. Common attributes In comparison with the upper house, lower houses frequently display certain characteristics (though they vary per jurisdiction). ;Powers: * In a parliamentary system, the lower house: **In the modern era, has much more power, usually based on restrictions against the upper house. **Is able to override the upper house in some ways. **Can vote a motion of no confidence against the government, as well as vote for or against any proposed candidate for head of government at the beginning of the parliamentary term. **Exceptions are Australia, where ...
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Technical Group
In politics, a technical group or mixed group is a heterogenous parliamentary group composed of elected officials from political parties of differing ideologies (or independent of any party) who are not numerous enough to form groups on their own. They are formed for technical reasons so that members enjoy rights or benefits that would remain unavailable to them outside a formally recognised parliamentary group. A technical group is distinguished from political groups by differing ideologies. Ireland In Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Irish national parliament, the Oireachtas), prior to 2016, only parliamentary groups with seven TDs or more had full speaking rights under the house's standing orders. This meant that smaller parties and independent politicians would be unable to speak as often as parties with enough deputies to form their own groups. Prior to 1997, a technical group automatically came into being if there were seven or more independent TDs. From 1997, a g ...
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Ceann Comhairle
The (; "Head of heCouncil"; plural usually ) is the chairperson (or speaker) of , the lower house of the (parliament) of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the from among their number in the first session after each general election. The since 10 March 2016 has been Seán Ó Fearghaíl, TD. The since 23 July 2020 has been Catherine Connolly, Independent TD. Overview The Ceann Comhairle is expected to observe strict impartiality. Despite this, a government usually tries to select a member of its own political party for the position, if it has enough deputies to allow that choice. In order to protect the neutrality of the chair, the Constitution of Ireland provides that an incumbent Ceann Comhairle does not seek re-election as a Teachta Dála (Deputy to the Dáil), but rather is deemed automatically to have been re-elected by their constituency at that general election, unless they are retiring. As a consequence, the constituency that an i ...
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