View source for Oireachtas

{{Short description|Bicameral legislature of the Republic of Ireland}}
{{about|the modern legislature|alternative meanings|Oireachtas (disambiguation)|and|Irish parliament (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox legislature
| background_color = #08a04b
| name = Oireachtas
| native_name = 
| coa_pic = 
| coa_res = 
| coa_caption = Emblem of Oireachtas Éireann
| logo_pic = HousesOireachtasLogo.png
| logo_res = 250px
| logo_alt = 
| house_type = Bicameral
| houses = {{ubl|[[Dáil Éireann]] ([[34th Dáil|34th]])|[[Seanad Éireann]] ([[27th Seanad|27th]])}}
| established = 29 December 1937 ([[Adoption of the Constitution of Ireland#Plebiscite|Modern form]])
| preceded_by = [[Oireachtas (Irish Free State)|Irish Free State Oireachtas]]
| succeeded_by = 
| leader1_type = [[President of Ireland]]
| leader1 = [[Catherine Connolly]]
| election1 = [[2025 Irish presidential election|11 November 2025]]
| leader2_type = [[Ceann Comhairle]]
| leader2 = [[Verona Murphy]]
| election2 = [[2024 Ceann Comhairle election|18 December 2024]]
| leader3_type = [[Ceann Comhairle#Leas-Cheann Comhairle|Leas-Cheann Comhairle]]
| leader3 = [[John McGuinness (politician)|John McGuinness]]
| party3 = [[Fianna Fáil|FF]]
| election3 = 19 February 2025
| leader4_type = [[Cathaoirleach]]
| leader4 = [[Mark Daly (politician)|Mark Daly]]
| election4 = 12 February 2025
| party4 = [[Fianna Fáil|FF]]
| leader5_type = [[Cathaoirleach#Leas-Chathaoirleach|Leas-Chathaoirleach]]
| leader5 = [[Maria Byrne]]
| election5 = 19 February 2025
| party5 = [[Fine Gael|FG]]
| leader6_type = [[Taoiseach]]
| leader6 = [[Micheál Martin]]
| election6 = [[Government of the 34th Dáil|23 January 2025]]
| party6 = [[Fianna Fáil|FF]]
| leader7_type = [[Tánaiste]]
| leader7 = [[Simon Harris]]
| election7 = [[Government of the 34th Dáil|23 January 2025]]
| party7 = [[Fine Gael|FG]]
| leader8_type = [[Leader of the Opposition (Ireland)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| leader8 = [[Mary Lou McDonald]]
| party8 = [[Sinn Féin|SF]]
| election8 = 27 June 2020
| members = {{ubl|'''Dáil Éireann''': 174|'''Seanad Éireann''': 60}}
| house1 = {{longitem|[[Dáil Éireann|Dáil]]}}
| house2 = {{longitem|[[Seanad Éireann|Seanad]]}}
| structure1 = 34th Dáil Seating Plan.svg
| structure1_res = 250px
| structure2 = 27th Seanad Seating Plan.svg
| structure2_res = 250px
| authority = [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html#part4. Articles 15−27, Constitution of Ireland]
| salary = {{ubl|€105,271 per year + expenses ([[Teachtaí Dála|TDs]])|€73,726 per year + expenses ([[Seanad Éireann|Senators]])}}
| political_groups1 = '''Current Composition'''
'''[[Government of the 34th Dáil|Government]] (91)'''
:{{Party index link|Fianna Fáil|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(48)
:{{Party index link|Fine Gael|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(38)
:{{Party index link|Independent politician (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(5)
'''[[Confidence and supply|Supported by]] (4)'''
:{{Party index link|Independent politician (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(4)<ref name="IT20250207">{{cite news |last1=Horgan-Jones |first1=Jack |title=Just how big is the Government’s majority? TDs from Lowry group muddy the waters |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/02/07/just-how-big-is-the-governments-majority-tds-from-lowry-group-muddy-the-waters/ |access-date=14 February 2025 |work=[[Irish Times]] |date=14 February 2025}}</ref>
'''Opposition (78)'''
:{{Party index link|Sinn Féin|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(39)
:{{Party index link|Social Democrats (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(11)
:{{Party index link|Labour Party (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(11)
:{{color box|F997BC|border=silver}} [[34th Dáil#Independents and Smaller Parties Group|''Inds. and Smaller Parties Group'']] (6){{efn|name=fn1}}
::{{Party index link|People Before Profit–Solidarity|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(3)
::{{Party index link|Green Party (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;([[Roderic O'Gorman|1]])
::{{Party index link|100% Redress|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;([[Charles Ward (Irish politician)|1]])
::{{color box|D3D3D3|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician (Ireland)|Independents]] (1){{efn|group=ge20|Includes [[Séamus Healy]] who is a member of the [[Workers and Unemployed Action]] party but was elected as an independent candidate.}}
:{{color box|7DA5DD|border=silver}} [[34th Dáil#Independent Group|''Independent Group'']] (7){{efn|name=fn1|Technical group formed for parliamentary speaking rights. This is not a political alliance, but a parliamentary group.}}
::{{Party index link|Independent Ireland|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(4)
::{{Party index link|Aontú|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(2)
::{{Party index link|Independent politician (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;([[Paul Gogarty|1]])
:{{Party index link|Independent politician (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(2)
;[[Ceann Comhairle]]
:{{Color box|Black}} [[Ceann Comhairle]] (1)
{{Party index link|Casual vacancy|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(1)
| political_groups2 = '''Current Composition'''
'''[[Government of the 34th Dáil|Government]] (36)'''
:{{Party index link|Fianna Fáil|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(19)
:{{Party index link|Fine Gael|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(17)
'''[[Opposition (politics)|Opposition]] (24)'''
:{{Party index link|Sinn Féin|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(6)
:{{nowrap|{{color box|FFC000|border=silver}} ''Independent Group'' (8){{efn|name=fn1}}}}
::{{Party index link|Independent politician (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(8){{efn|group=hdi1|Includes [[Rónán Mullen]] who is a member of the [[Human Dignity Alliance]] party but was elected as an independent candidate.}}
:{{nowrap|{{color box|FFFF00|border=silver}} [[Civil Engagement group|''Civil Engagement'']] (4){{efn|name=fn1}}}}
::{{Party index link|Independent politician (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(4)
:{{nowrap|{{color box|FF33CC|border=silver}} ''Cross-Party Group'' (4){{efn|name=fn1}}}}
::{{Party index link|Labour Party (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(2)
::{{Party index link|Green Party (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(1)
::{{Party index link|Social Democrats (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(1)
:{{Party index link|Aontú|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;(1)
:{{Party index link|Independent politician (Ireland)|border=darkgray}}&nbsp;([[Martin Conway (Irish politician)|1]])
| joint_committees = {{Collapsible list |title=[[Committees of the Oireachtas|20]] |Agriculture, Food and the Marine |Autism |Children, Disability, Equality, Integration, and Youth |Disability Matters |Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science |Enterprise, Trade and Employment |Environment and Climate Action |European Union Affairs |Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach |Foreign Affairs and Defence |Gender Equality |Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement |Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community |Health |Housing, Local Government and Heritage |Justice |Public Petitions |Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands |Transport and Communications |Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media
}}
| term_length = Not exceeding 5 years
| voting_system1 = [[Proportional representation]] ([[single transferable vote]])
| voting_system2 = [[Indirect election]]
| last_election1 = [[2024 Irish general election|29 November 2024]]
| last_election2 = [[2025 Seanad election|30 January 2025]]
| next_election3 = [[Next Irish general election|By 2030]]
| session_room = Leinster House in Dublin, seat of the Oireachtas.jpg
| meeting_place = [[Leinster House]], [[Kildare Street]], Dublin
| constitution = [[Constitution of Ireland]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.oireachtas.ie/}}
| rules = {{ubl|[https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/parliamentaryBusiness/standingOrders/dail/2021/2021-01-27_consolidated-dail-eireann-standing-orders-january-2021_en.pdf. Dáil Éireann – Standing Orders Relative to Public Business 2020]|[https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/parliamentaryBusiness/standingOrders/seanad/2020/2020-04-15_seanad-eireann-standing-orders-relative-to-public-business-2020_en.pdf. Seanad Éireann – Standing Orders Relative to Public Business 2020]}}
| footnotes = {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
}}
{{Politics of the Republic of Ireland}}
The '''Oireachtas''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛr|ə|k|t|ə|s}} {{respell|EH|rək|təs}};<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Oireachtas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806004610/https://www.lexico.com/definition/oireachtas |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-08-06 |title=Oireachtas |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> {{IPA|ga|ˈɛɾʲaxt̪ˠəsˠ|lang}}), sometimes referred to as '''Oireachtas Éireann''', is the [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] [[parliament]] of [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].<ref>The Oireachtas is described as the "National Parliament" in Article 15 of the [[Constitution of Ireland]], though this term is not an alternative official title.</ref> The Oireachtas consists of the [[president of Ireland]] and the two houses of the Oireachtas ({{langx|ga|Tithe an Oireachtais}}):<ref>{{IPA|ga|ˈtʲɪhə ənˠ ˈɛɾʲaxt̪ˠəʃ|IPA}}</ref> a [[lower house]] called [[Dáil Éireann]] and an [[upper house]] called [[Seanad Éireann]].

The houses of the Oireachtas sit in [[Leinster House]] in [[Dublin]], an eighteenth-century [[Duke|ducal]] [[palace]]. The directly elected Dáil is the more powerful of the houses of the Oireachtas.

==Etymology==
The word {{lang|ga|oireachtas}} comes from the [[Irish language|Irish]] word {{lang|ga|airecht}}/{{lang|ga|oireacht}} ("deliberative assembly of freemen; assembled freemen; assembly, gathering; patrimony, territory"), ultimately from the word {{lang|ga|airig}} ("freeman").<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2rwRDAAAQBAJ&q=oireacht&pg=PA878|title=A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early Ireland|first1=Theodore William|last1=Moody|first2=Dáibhí Ó|last2=Cróinín|first3=Francis X.|last3=Martin|first4=Francis John|last4=Byrne|first5=Art|last5=Cosgrove|date=5 May 1976|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780198217374|via=Google Books|access-date=3 October 2020|archive-date=22 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922130543/https://books.google.com/books?id=2rwRDAAAQBAJ&q=oireacht&pg=PA878|url-status=live}}</ref> Its first recorded use as the name of a legislative body was within the [[Irish Free State]].

==Composition==
Dáil Éireann is directly elected under [[universal suffrage]] of all Irish citizens who are residents and at least eighteen years old; non-Irish citizens may be enfranchised by law, which currently extends to British citizens. By law, a Dáil term may last no longer than five years; however, the house can be dissolved by the president at any time at the request of the [[Taoiseach]] (head of government). Dáil elections use the [[electoral system]] of [[proportional representation]] by means of a [[single transferable vote]]. The Dáil has 174 members.

The Seanad is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members selected in a number of different ways. There are 60 senators: 43 are elected by councillors and parliamentarians, 11 are appointed by the Taoiseach, and six are elected by two [[university constituencies]].

The president is directly elected once every seven years, and may serve a maximum of two terms; where there is only one candidate for president, no ballot will be taken, and the candidate will be deemed elected at the close of nominations.

==Role==
To become law, a [[bill (proposed law)|bill]] must first be approved by both the Dáil and in most circumstances the Seanad (although the Dáil can override a Seanad refusal to pass a bill), and then signed into law by the president. Bills to amend the Constitution must also be approved by the people in a referendum prior to being presented to the President. In most circumstances, the president is in effect obliged to sign all laws approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas, although the president has the power to [[Advisory opinion|refer most bills to the Supreme Court for a ruling on constitutionality.]] The powers of the Seanad are in effect limited to delay rather than veto. It is the Dáil, therefore, that is the supreme tier of the Irish legislature. The general [[enacting formula]] for [[Acts of the Oireachtas]] is: "Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows:—", for an act with a preamble this enacting formula is, instead, "Be it therefore enacted by the Oireachtas as follows:—".

===Powers===
The Oireachtas has exclusive power to:

* Legislate, including a power vested in the Dáil of approving the financial resolutions relevant to the budget. However, the courts<ref>{{Cite web|title = Bederev -v- Ireland & ors : Judgments & Determinations |website=Courts Service of Ireland|url = http://www.courts.ie/Judgments.nsf/bce24a8184816f1580256ef30048ca50/ad1638c8122f48ef80257e04003f88df?OpenDocument|access-date = 2015-10-04|archive-date = 8 October 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151008051534/http://www.courts.ie/Judgments.nsf/bce24a8184816f1580256ef30048ca50/ad1638c8122f48ef80257e04003f88df?OpenDocument|url-status = live}}</ref> have allowed the Oireachtas to delegate limited legislative powers to other entities, such as Government Ministers.
* Create subordinate legislatures.
* Propose changes to the constitution (must be initiated in the Dáil), which must then be submitted to a [[referendum]].
* Raise military or armed forces.
* Allow international agreements to become part of the domestic law of the state.
* Pass certain laws having an extraterritorial effect (in accordance with the similar practices of other states).
* Enact, when it considers a [[state of emergency]] to exist, almost any law it deems necessary, with the imposition of capital punishment being the only absolutely excluded act in all circumstances.

===Limitations===
* Laws are invalid if, and to the extent that, they contradict the constitution.
* In the event of a conflict, [[EU law]] also takes precedence over acts of the Oireachtas, as is common throughout the [[European Union]].
* It may not retrospectively criminalise acts that were not illegal at the time they were committed.
* It may not enact any law providing for the imposition of the [[Capital punishment|death penalty]], even during a state of emergency.

==Committees==
{{main|Committees of the Oireachtas}}

The Oireachtas has a number of [[joint committee (legislative)|joint committees]] that include members of both houses. There are currently fifteen of these:
*Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine 
*Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration
*Joint Committee on Climate Action
*Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
*Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment
*Joint Committee on European Union Affairs
*Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
*Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence
*Joint Committee on Health
*Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage
*Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement
*Joint Committee on Justice
*Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht
*Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands
*Joint Committee on Transport and Communications Networks
*Working Group of Committee Chairmen

==Predecessors==
''Oireachtas'' has been the title of two parliaments in [[History of Ireland|Irish history]]: the current Oireachtas of Ireland, since 1937, and, immediately before that, the [[Oireachtas of the Irish Free State]] of 1922 to 1937.

The earliest parliament in Ireland was the [[Parliament of Ireland]], which was founded in the thirteenth century as the supreme legislative body of the lordship of Ireland and was in existence until 1801. This parliament governed the English-dominated part of Ireland, which at first was limited to Dublin and surrounding cities, but later grew to include the entire island. The Irish Parliament was, from the passage of [[Poynings' Law (on certification of acts)|Poynings' Law]] in 1494 until its repeal in 1782, subordinate to the English, and later British, [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]. This Parliament consisted of the [[Monarchy of Ireland|King of Ireland]], who was the same person as the King of England, a [[Irish House of Lords|House of Lords]] and a [[Irish House of Commons|House of Commons]]. After the [[Constitution of 1782]] was passed by both the Irish Parliament and the [[Parliament of Great Britain]], the Irish Parliament had increased legislative and judicial independence from the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] and had greater control over the [[Royal Irish Army]]. It was known as Grattan's Parliament after [[Henry Grattan]], leader of the [[Irish Patriot Party]].  In 1800 the Irish Parliament approved its own abolition when it enacted the [[Acts of Union 1800|Act of Union]], which came into effect from 1 January 1801.

The next legislature to exist in Ireland came into being in 1919. This was a [[unicameralism|unicameral]] parliament established by [[Irish republicanism|Irish republicans]], known simply as [[Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic)|Dáil Éireann]]. This revolutionary Dáil was notionally a legislature for the whole island of Ireland. In 1920, in parallel to the Dáil, the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]] created a [[home rule]] legislature called the [[Parliament of Southern Ireland]]. However, this parliament was boycotted by most Irish politicians. It was made up of the King, the [[House of Commons of Southern Ireland]] and the [[Senate of Southern Ireland]]. The Parliament of Southern Ireland was formally abolished in 1922, with the establishment of the Oireachtas under the [[Constitution of the Irish Free State]].

The Oireachtas of the Irish Free State consisted of the [[Irish head of state from 1922 to 1949|King]] (represented by a [[Governor-General of the Irish Free State|Governor-General]]) and two houses: Dáil Éireann (described as a "Chamber of Deputies") and Seanad Éireann. However, the [[Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State)|Free State Senate]] was abolished in May 1936 and the role of the monarch was removed in December 1936. The modern Oireachtas came into being in December 1937, on the [[adoption of the Constitution of Ireland]].

==Broadcasting==
The first Oireachtas radio and television broadcasts were of [[List of addresses to the Oireachtas|ceremonial addresses from dignitaries]], beginning with that of [[John F. Kennedy]] during his 1963 state visit.<ref>{{cite web |title=President Kennedy Arrives at the Dáil |date=28 June 1963 |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1722-john-f-kennedy/451915-president-kennedy-arrives-at-the-dil/ |website=RTÉ Archives |access-date=7 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407144904/https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1722-john-f-kennedy/451915-president-kennedy-arrives-at-the-dil/ |url-status=live }}; {{cite web |title=50th Anniversary of the First Dáil Marked at Mansion House |date=21 January 1969 |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2019/0110/1022429-first-dail-50th-anniversary/ |website=RTÉ Archives |access-date=7 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407144940/https://www.rte.ie/archives/2019/0110/1022429-first-dail-50th-anniversary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Regular radio broadcasting of edited Oireachtas proceedings began in October 1986, although [[Government budget|budget]] statements had already been broadcast live.<ref>{{cite web |title=Broadcasting of Seanad Proceedings: Statement |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1986-10-01/3/ |website=Seanad Éireann (17th Seanad) debates |publisher=Oireachtas |access-date=7 April 2020 |language=en-ie |date=1 October 1986 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407144900/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1986-10-01/3/ |url-status=live }}; {{cite web |title=Radio Transmissions From Oireachtas, 1986 |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2016/1013/823818-oireachtas-broadcasting-service/ |website=RTÉ Archives |access-date=7 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407144904/https://www.rte.ie/archives/2016/1013/823818-oireachtas-broadcasting-service/ |url-status=live }}; {{cite news |last1=Moriarty |first1=Theresa |title=Mikes make Oireachtas media-shy |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1986/1008/Pg025.html#Ar02507 |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 April 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=8 October 1986 |page=25 }}</ref> Television coverage of Dáil, Seanad, and committee proceedings began in 1990, 1991, and 1993 respectively.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Oireachtas |url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/a-misc/tv.htm |title=Parliamentary Televising |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060530023639/http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=%2Fdocuments%2Fa-misc%2Ftv.htm |archive-date=30 May 2006 }}; {{cite web |last1=Bowman |first1=John |title=Through a Lens — Leinster House 25 Years on TV |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/oireachtas-tv-productions/oireachtas-tv-documentaries/1008/ |website=Oireachtas TV documentaries |publisher=Oireachtas |access-date=17 April 2020 |language=en-ie |date=31 December 2015 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805223106/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/oireachtas-tv-productions/oireachtas-tv-documentaries/1008/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 2005 the proceedings of both houses have been made available over the internet by [[HEAnet]] and the [[eDemocracy]] Unit of the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oir.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=w|title=live broadcasts|publisher=Oireachtas|access-date=24 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504112212/http://www.oir.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=%2Fdocuments%2Flivewebcast%2FWeb-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=w|archive-date=4 May 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[Houses of the Oireachtas Channel]] (publicly known as Oireachtas TV) is a digital television channel in Ireland.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kehoe |first=Ian |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2008/05/11/story32805.asp |title=Dáil TV station to be unveiled this week |newspaper=Sunday Business Post |date=11 May 2008 |access-date=24 January 2011 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It broadcasts Committee and Houses and other parliament proceedings following its establishment under the [[Broadcasting Act 2009]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/bills28/acts/2009/a1809.pdf |title=(Number 29 of 2008) – Tithe an Oireachtais |publisher=Oireachtas |date=13 November 2009 |access-date=24 January 2011 |archive-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107224425/http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=%2Fdocuments%2Fbills28%2Facts%2F2009%2Fa1809.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irlgov.ie/oireachtas/leaflet/tv.html |title=Parliamentary Televising |publisher=Irlgov.ie |date=21 October 2010 |access-date=24 January 2011 |archive-date=20 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120180841/http://www.irlgov.ie/oireachtas/leaflet/tv.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On 15 November 2011, it began broadcasting a pilot service on [[UPC Ireland]]. On 22 September 2014, the Houses launched the dedicated television channel Oireachtas TV, bringing unfiltered access to the parliamentary process to over one million households nationwide. The service is available free of charge on UPC Channel 207 and Sky Channel 574.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/mediazone/pressreleases/name-24377-en.html |title=New TV channel to bring Oireachtas proceedings to over one million homes |publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas |date=22 September 2014 |access-date=23 September 2014 |archive-date=6 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150606112120/http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/mediazone/pressreleases/name-24377-en.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2012, the Oireachtas launched its first e-consultation.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Murray |first=Michael |title=Politics at the Touch of a Button: An Evaluation of the First Ever Oireachtas (Irish Houses of Parliament) E-consultation |journal=Parliamentary Affairs |volume=66 |number=3 |date=July 2013 |page=597|doi=10.1093/pa/gsr072 }}</ref>

==Houses of the Oireachtas family day==
On 28 June 2008, the first Houses of the Oireachtas family day was held.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0628/oireachtas.html |title=Thousands visit Leinster House of fun |work=[[RTÉ News]] |date=28 June 2008 |access-date=28 June 2008 |archive-date=19 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119001748/http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0628/oireachtas.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This initiative by the [[Ceann Comhairle]] of [[Dáil Éireann]], [[John O'Donoghue (politician)|John O'Donoghue]] and the [[Cathaoirleach]] of [[Seanad Éireann]], [[Pat Moylan (politician)|Pat Moylan]] aimed to increase public awareness in the work of the Houses of the Oireachtas. It included tours of both chambers of the Oireachtas, lectures on the history of Oireachtas, historic political speeches recited by actors and a hot air balloon – commemorating the balloon flight which took place in 1785 from Leinster Lawn. The Oireachtas family day took place again in 2009,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0627/oireachtas.html |title=Family Day at Leinster House |work=[[RTÉ News]] |date=27 June 2009 |access-date=5 August 2012 |archive-date=1 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801052925/http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0627/oireachtas.html |url-status=live }}</ref> but it has not been held since then.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thejournal.ie/open-the-dail-and-seanad-chambers-to-the-public-says-td-349891-Feb2012/ |title=Open the Dáil and Seanad chambers to the public, says TD |work=The Journal.ie |date=8 February 2012 |access-date=5 August 2012 |archive-date=18 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018121155/http://www.thejournal.ie/open-the-dail-and-seanad-chambers-to-the-public-says-td-349891-Feb2012/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Northern Ireland representation==
Although, as adopted in 1937, Article 3 of the constitution asserted the "right of the parliament and government established by this constitution to exercise jurisdiction" over the whole of Ireland, it also provided that pending the "re-integration of the national territory"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.constitution.ie/Documents/Bhunreacht_na_hEireann_web.pdf|title=CONSTITUTION OF IRELAND|website=Constitution.ie|access-date=14 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209115852/https://www.constitution.ie/Documents/Bhunreacht_na_hEireann_web.pdf|archive-date=9 February 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Acts of the Oireachtas would not apply to Northern Ireland. Therefore, no serious attempts have been made for the representation of Northern Ireland in the Dáil. As Taoiseach, [[Éamon de Valera]], while a staunch opponent of partition, and who had been elected to represent a Northern constituency in the [[Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic)|First Dáil]], did not pursue the idea of seats in the Dáil for Northern Ireland, on the grounds that this would amount to representation "without taxation or responsibility".<ref name="Coogan2015">{{cite book|last=Coogan|first=Tim Pat|title=De Valera: Long Fellow, Long Shadow|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5CFlCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT693|access-date=12 May 2016|date=2015-12-16|publisher=Head of Zeus|isbn=9781784975371|page=644|archive-date=23 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423152127/https://books.google.com/books?id=5CFlCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT693|url-status=live}}</ref> Beginning with [[Seamus Mallon]] in 1982, one or more from Northern Ireland have been included among the eleven [[Nominated members of Seanad Éireann|Senators nominated by the Taoiseach]] after most elections.

[[Sinn Féin]] has advocated that Northern Ireland [[Northern Ireland Assembly|MLAs]], [[British House of Commons|MPs]], and [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]s should have the right to participate in Dáil debates, if not vote.<ref>[https://www.agendani.com/dail-reform-committee-says-no-to-northern-oireachtas-representation/ Dáil Reform Committee says no to northern Oireachtas representation], agendaNi, September 2022</ref> In 2005 the Taoiseach, [[Bertie Ahern]], proposed that Northern Ireland MPs should be able to address a [[committee of the whole]] Dáil. However, [[Fine Gael]], the [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]], and Ahern's coalition partners, the [[Progressive Democrats]], all opposed the idea,<ref name="ill">[https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/ahern-proposal-on-mps-ill-advised-1.1261957 Ahern proposal on MPs ill-advised] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322081817/https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/ahern-proposal-on-mps-ill-advised-1.1261957 |date=22 March 2018 }}, ''[[Irish Times]]'', 29 October 2005</ref> as did the [[Green Party (Ireland)|Green Party]], the [[Socialist Party (Ireland)|Socialist Party]] and some Oireachtas members from [[Fianna Fáil]].<ref>[https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/most-deputies-oppose-dail-speaking-rights-for-mps-26211440.html Most deputies oppose Dail speaking rights for MPs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322082010/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/most-deputies-oppose-dail-speaking-rights-for-mps-26211440.html |date=22 March 2018 }}, ''[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]'', 7 August 2005</ref> Only Sinn Féin, the party that stood to gain most from the proposal, supported it, while the more moderate [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] (SDLP) described it as a step forward.<ref>[https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ahern-plan-to-give-north-mps-dail-rights-rejected-1.511570 Ahern plan to give North MPs Dail rights rejected] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322081757/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ahern-plan-to-give-north-mps-dail-rights-rejected-1.511570 |date=22 March 2018 }}, ''[[Irish Times]]'', 28 October 2005</ref> The proposal was also criticised widely in the media, with an editorial in ''[[The Irish Times]]'', declaring that: "The overwhelming democratic imperative is that the institutions of this State should represent and serve the people of the State."<ref name="ill"/> From 2011, Northern Ireland MEPs had the same automatic right as MEPs from the Republic to participate in meetings of the Seanad's European committee, whereas other MEPs require an invitation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/seanad2011061600007|title=Standing Orders: Motion|date=16 June 2011|work=Seanad Éireann debates|pages=Standing Order 70A(6)|access-date=12 May 2016|archive-date=5 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605111419/http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/seanad2011061600007|url-status=live}}</ref> This ended in 2020 when the United Kingdom left the EU, which consequently meant all UK MEPs left office.

==Houses of the Oireachtas Commission==
{{anchor|Commission}} <!-- [[Houses of the Oireachtas Commission]] redirects here -->
While each house is empowered to organise its own business, they have always co-operated in practical matters arising from the fact that they share Leinster House as a common building complex. The '''Houses of the Oireachtas Commission''' was established by statute in 2003 to provide a formal structure for this, which was previously done by a joint committee. Non-political support staff, such as ushers and the English–Irish translation staff, are employed by this Commission and treated as part of the [[Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland#Civil Service of the State|Civil Service of the State]]. The Commission's [[chairperson]] and [[chief executive]] are the [[Ceann Comhairle]] and [[Clerk (legislature)|clerk]] of the Dáil respectively; other members are the [[Cathaoirleach]] of the Seanad, one appointed by the [[Minister for Finance]], four by the Dáil, and three by the Seanad.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/about/commission/|title=The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission|publisher=Oireachtas|access-date=30 March 2016|archive-date=3 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403093421/http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/about/commission/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2003/act/28/enacted/en/index.html|title=Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=30 March 2016|archive-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409155506/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2003/act/28/enacted/en/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Commission, through the translation department, is responsible for periodic updates to {{Lang|ga|[[An Caighdeán Oifigiúil]]}}, the official standard form of the [[Irish language]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2013/act/3/section/3/enacted/en/html#sec3|title=Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Act 2013, Section 3|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=30 March 2016|archive-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409151140/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2013/act/3/section/3/enacted/en/html#sec3|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Bicameralism]]
* [[List of acts of the Oireachtas]]
* [[List of addresses to the Oireachtas]]
* [[Records of members of the Oireachtas]]
*[[Families in the Oireachtas]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.oireachtas.ie}}

{{Ireland topics}}
{{National bicameral legislatures}}
{{Parliaments in Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Oireachtas| ]]
[[Category:1937 establishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:National legislatures|Ireland]]
[[Category:Parliaments by country|Ireland]]
[[Category:Bicameral legislatures|Ireland]]
[[Category:Politics of the Republic of Ireland]]