A front bench () in

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 read ...

, the

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 co ...

of 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 ...

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 ...

, 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 The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...

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 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 a ...

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 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. ...

s. Despite the frequent necessity for coalitions in front benches, each party retains its own front bench spokespersons analogous (but not exclusively analogous) to government departments.

List of front benches

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 elect ...

** Fine Gael Front Bench **

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 spokesperson ...

** Green Party Front Bench * Opposition 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 the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly corre ...

** Labour Party Front Bench **

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. ...

References

{{Dáil Éireann benches Politics of the Republic of Ireland