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Dáil Éireann

[doil air-awn, -on; Irish dol-y^uh ey-ryuhn]

Dáil Éireann (English: House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament). 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, 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.

Composition

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 the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote (STV). Membership of the Dáil is open to citizens who are 21 or older. A member of the Dáil is known as a Teachta Dála (often abbreviated TD), or deputy.

The Dáil electorate consists of Irish and British 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 governments, especially of the Fianna Fáil party, were very 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 Single Member Plurality ('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 average is around four). 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 21 thousand citizens, one of the most generous such ratios anywhere in the world. 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, only to be increased more substantially in 1981 to the current figure of 166.

Ceann Comhairle

The speaker, or presiding member, of Dáil Éireann is the Ceann Comhairle. The Ceann Comhairle is chosen from among TDs but is expected to observe strict impartiality. Despite this, the government will usually try to select one of its own for the position, if its numbers allow. In order to protect the neutrality of the chair, an incumbent Ceann Comhairle does not seek re-election as a TD but rather is deemed automatically to have been re-elected by their constituency at a general election, unless they are retiring. The Ceann Comhairle does not vote except in the event of a tie. The present serving Ceann Comhairle is former Fianna Fáil Minister John O'Donoghue.

Powers

While in principle Dáil Éireann is only one of three components of the Oireachtas, the other two being Uachtarán na hÉireann and Seanad Éireann, in practice the powers the constitution grants to the Dáil render it by far the dominant branch, meaning that most bills passed by Dáil Éireann will ultimately become law, therefore the President of Ireland must signs the bill into law. The President can only veto the bill, if it is in conflict with the Irish Constitution. For this to happen, the President must refer the bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality upon consultation with the Council of State.

In addition to its legislative role, it is the Dáil that designates the Taoiseach for referral to the President for appointment. The Dáil may also pass a motion of no confidence in the Government, in which case the Taoiseach must either seek a parliamentary dissolution or resign.

The Dáil also has exclusive power to:

Propose the budget (which may not originate in the Senate - Seanad Éireann).
Ratify treaties. (Provided they do not conflict with the Irish Constitution)
Declare war or permit the state to participate in a war.

Activities

Dáil Éireann determines its own standing orders and its members are protected by certain rights arising from parliamentary privilege. In line with other modern parliamentary systems, TDs do not generally vote first and foremost in accordance with their consciences or the wishes of their constituents, but must follow the instructions of party whips, a practice that originated in the Irish Parliamentary Party. Except in exceptional circumstances, the Dáil meets in public. The Dáil currently has three standing committees and thirteen select committees.

Debates are rigidly structured and extremely limited and famous for lacking the passion of the US Senate or UK House of Commons. TDs often read slowly from prepared scripts. By contrast, debates in Seanad Éireann are known for the humorous contributions of one or two Senators.

There is a common tactic, well known to journalists, of a TD intentionally breaking the rules and being disorderly, in order to force the Ceann Comhairle to throw them out of the chamber. This usually captures 'news bites' (as intended) and is designed to cast the particular TD in the role of defending his area against the government.

Standing committees

Committee on Procedure and Privileges

Sub-Committee on Members' Services
Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform

Committee of Public Accounts
Committee on Members' Interests of Dáil Éireann

Select committees

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food Talmhaíocht agus Bia
Select Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs/ Ealaíon, Lúthchleasaiocht, pobal agus Gnóthaí tuaithe agus gaeltachta
Select Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources/ cumarsáid, An Mhuir agus achmhainí nádúrtha
Select Committee on Education and Science/ oideachais agus eolaiocht
Select Committee on Enterprise and Small Business
Select Committee on Environment and Local Government/ Comhshaoil agus Rialtas Áitiúl
Select Committee on European Affairs/ gnóthai Eorpacha
Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service/ airgeadais agusSeirbhís Poiblí
Select Committee on Foreign Affairs/ Gnóthaí Eachtracha
Select Committee on Health and Children/ Sláinte agus Leanai
Select Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights
Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs
Select Committee on Transport/ Iompair

History

Precursors

The first legislature to exist in Ireland was the Parliament of Ireland and the first legislative lower house was the House of Commons of this body. However the Parliament of Ireland was abolished under the Act of Union of 1800. Irish nationalists first convened Dáil Éireann as a revolutionary parliament in 1919 and while it successfully took over most functions of government it was not recognised under United Kingdom law.

In 1921 the United Kingdom government established a legislature called the Parliament of Southern Ireland in an effort to appease nationalists by granting Ireland limited home rule. However this body was rejected and boycotted by nationalists whose allegiance remained with the Dáil. Nonetheless, because the First Dáil was illegal under the United Kingdom constitution, the lower house of the Parliament of Southern Ireland, the House of Commons of Southern Ireland, is considered in UK legal theory as the precursor to the Dáil.

Revolutionary Dáil (1919–1922)

The current Dáil derives from the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, but claims a direct line of descent from the 'First Dáil' of 1919. This Dáil was an extra-legal assembly established by Sinn Féin MPs elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in the 1918 United Kingdom general election. Upon winning a majority of Irish seats in the election (many uncontested), Sinn Féin MPs refused to recognise the United Kingdom parliament and instead convened as the First Dáil Éireann (translated as "Assembly of Ireland"): the unicameral legislature of a new notional Irish Republic, and the first Irish parliament to exist since 1801 .

The Dáil of the Irish Republic, however, was only recognised internationally by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, despite intense lobbying by Irish-Americans in the United States. The first meeting of the Dáil occurred in Dublin, in the Mansion House. Subsequently the body was forced underground and met in a number of locations.

Irish Free State (1922–1937)

The Dáil of the Irish Republic was succeeded in 1922 by the Dáil of the Irish Free State. The Irish Free State, comprising the twenty-six southern and western counties of Ireland, was established under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty. Dáil Éireann (now described as a "Chamber of Deputies") became the lower house of a new legislature called the Oireachtas. The first Dáil to exist under the constitution of the Irish Free State succeeded the Second Dáil of the Irish Republic and so was styled the Third Dáil. The Third Dáil, and every subsequent Dáil, has met in Leinster House.

Constitution of Ireland (1937–present)

The Constitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, established the modern Irish state, referred to today as Ireland

Under the constitution a new legislature retained the title Oireachtas, and its lower house remained Dáil Éireann. The first Dáil to meet under the Constitution of Ireland was described as the Ninth Dáil.