View source for Teachta Dála

{{Short description|Member of Dáil Éireann}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Teachta Dála
| body = Dáil Éireann
| insignia = Dail Eireann logo 1.png
| insigniasize = 200px
| insigniacaption = 
| image =  20130810 dublin214.JPG
| caption =
| imagesize = 280px
| alt = [[Leinster House]], the meeting place of the members
| incumbent = [[34th Dáil#List of TDs|34th Dáil]]
| incumbentsince = 18 December 2024
| department = '''[[Oireachtas|Oireachtas Éireann]]'''
| style = [[Legislator|Deputy]] ([[Irish language|Irish]]: ''An Teachta'')
| member_of = [[Dáil Éireann]]
| reports_to = {{plainlist|
* [[Ceann Comhairle]]
* [[Ceann Comhairle#Leas-Cheann Comhairle|Leas-Cheann Comhairle]]
}}
| seat = [[Leinster House]]
| appointer = [[Elections in the Republic of Ireland#Eligibility to vote|Electorate of the Republic of Ireland]]
| termlength = No more than 5 years; renewable
| constituting_instrument = [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html#article16. Articles 16−17, Constitution of Ireland]
| formation = {{start date and age|1918|12|18|df=y|p=y}}
| first = [[Members of the 1st Dáil|1st Dáil]]
| abbreviation = TD
| salary = [[Euro|€]]113,679 per year<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/salaries-and-allowances/salaries/ |title=Salaries |publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas |date=1 June 2024 |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref> plus expenses<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/salaries-and-allowances/parliamentary-standard-allowances/ |title=Parliamentary Standard Allowance
|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas |date=19 November 2019 |access-date=26 February 2024}}</ref> 
| website = {{URL|https://www.oireachtas.ie/}}
}}
{{Politics of Republic of Ireland}}
A '''Teachta Dála''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|t|j|ɒ|x|t|ə|_|ˈ|d|ɔː|l|ə}} {{respell|TYOKH|tə|_|DAW|lə}}; {{IPA|ga|ˌtʲaxt̪ˠə ˈd̪ˠaːlˠa|lang|ga-Teachta Dála.ogg}};<ref name="Pron">{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Teachta+D%C3%A1la |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902031203/https://www.dictionary.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2022-09-02 |title=Teachta Dála |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> plural {{lang|ga|Teachtaí Dála}}), abbreviated as '''TD''' (plural '''''TDanna''''' in [[Irish language|Irish]],<ref>See e.g.{{cite web|url=http://www.president.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The-Take-Charge-of-Change-declaration-English-Gaeilge.pdf |title=Take Charge of Change |year=2012 |publisher=Office of the President |language=en, ga |access-date=14 August 2013 |location=Dublin |quote="Empower local Government so that our national representatives TDs don't engage in parochial politics./Cumhacht a thabhairt don Rialtas áitiúil ionas nach mbeidh ár gcuid ionadaithe náisiúnta, na TDanna, i mbun na polaitíochta paróistí." |pages=3, 7 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328080731/http://www.president.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The-Take-Charge-of-Change-declaration-English-Gaeilge.pdf |archive-date=28 March 2013 }}</ref> '''TDs''' in English), is a member of [[Dáil Éireann]], the [[lower house]] of the [[Oireachtas]], the parliament of [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. The official English translation of the term is "Dáil Deputy".<ref>{{cite web | title = deputy | url = https://www.focloir.ie/en/dictionary/ei/deputy#deputy__5 | publisher = Foclóir.ie | access-date = 6 February 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Teachta Dála | url = https://www.tearma.ie/q/Teachta%20D%C3%A1la/ | publisher = Téarma.ie | access-date = 6 February 2025 }}</ref> An equivalent position would be a [[Member of parliament|Member of Parliament]] (MP) in the UK or [[Member of Congress]] in the USA.

==Number of TDs==
[[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] is divided into [[Dáil constituencies]], each of which elects three, four, or five TDs. Under the [[Constitution of Ireland|Constitution]], the total number of TDs must be fixed at one TD for each 20,000 to 30,000 of the population.<ref name=deputy>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/dail-eireann/|title=Dáil Éireann|access-date=28 February 2020|work=Houses of the Oireachtas|archive-date=8 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008151657/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/dail-eireann/|url-status=dead}}</ref> There are 174 TDs in the [[34th Dáil]], elected at the [[2024 Irish general election|2024 general election]] under the [[Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023]]. The outgoing [[Ceann Comhairle]] is automatically returned unless they announce their retirement before the dissolution of the Dáil.

==Qualification==
A candidate for election as TD must be an Irish citizen and over 21 years of age. Members of the judiciary, the [[Garda Síochána]], and the Permanent [[Defence Forces (Ireland)|Defence Forces]] are disqualified from membership of the Dáil.<ref name=Electoral_Act_1992>{{cite ISB|year=1992|num=23|section=41|title=Electoral Act 1992|stitle=Disqualification for membership of Dáil|date=5 November 1992}}</ref>

==History==
The term was first used to describe those Irish parliamentarians<ref>73 out of 105 seats won in Ireland at the 1918 general election were by [[Sinn Féin]] members. [[Irish Unionist Alliance|Unionist]] and [[Irish Parliamentary Party]] members refused to recognise the Dáil, and so did not attend.</ref> who were elected at the [[1918 Irish general election|1918 general election]], and who, rather than attending the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|British House of Commons]] at [[Westminster]], to which they had been elected, assembled instead in the [[Mansion House, Dublin|Mansion House]] in Dublin on 21 January 1919 to create a new Irish parliament: the [[First Dáil]] Éireann. Initially, the term {{lang|ga|Feisire Dáil Eireann}} (F.D.E.) was mooted,<ref>e.g.
* {{cite encyclopedia |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/encyclopaediabri31chisrich#page/574/mode/1up |article=Ireland |page=573 |volume=31 |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |edition=12th |author-link=Walter Alison Phillips |first=Walter Alison |last=Phillips |year=1922 |access-date=21 October 2016 |quote=The victorious group assumed the title of the Irish Republican party, and styled themselves not M.P., but F.D.E. ({{lang|ga|Feisire Dail Eireann}}, i.e. members of the Assembly of Ireland).}}
* ''[[Cork Examiner]]'', 21 January 1919, "The M.P.s, or F.D.Es (Feisire Dáil Eireann) as they will be known in future, [etc.]" (cited in {{cite thesis |url=https://othes.univie.ac.at/1195/1/2008-09-03_8305662.pdf#page=694 |format=PDF |title=Irish Views on Old Austria and Austrian Views on the Irish Question, 1848–1918|last=Ferris|first=Lisa|date=September 2008|publisher=University of Vienna|page=609 |access-date=21 October 2016}})</ref> but 'Teachta' was used from the first meeting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail1919012100002|title=Prelude|date=21 January 1919|work=First Dáil proceedings|publisher=Oireachtas |no-pp=y|pages=c.9 |quote=Tháinig na Teachtaí I gceann a chéile I nÁrus Árd-Mhéire Bhaile Átha Cliath ar a 3.30 iar nóin.|language=Irish|access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> The term continued to be used after this First Dáil and was used to refer to later members of the [[Irish Republic]]'s single-chamber [[Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic)|Dáil Éireann]] (or 'Assembly of Ireland') (1919–1922), members of the [[Dáil Éireann (Irish Free State)|Free State Dáil]] (1922–1937), and of the modern Dáil Éireann.

==Style==
The initials "TD" are placed after the surname of the elected TD. For example, the current [[Taoiseach]] (head of government) is "[[Micheál Martin]], TD". The [[Style (manner of address)|style]] used to refer to individual TDs during debates in Dáil Éireann is the member's surname preceded by ''Deputy'' ({{langx|ga|an Teachta}}): for example, "Deputy McDonald", ''"an Teachta Ní Dhomhnaill/Bhean Úi Dhomhnaill"''<ref>Ms McDonald/Mrs McDonald</ref> or ''"an Teachta Ó Domhnaill"''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/role-of-the-oireachtas/dail-eireann/ |title=Dáil Éireann |website=Houses of the Oireachtas}}</ref>

==Salaries and expenses==
The basic salary of a [[backbencher|backbench]] TD is €113,679.<ref>{{cite web |date=1 June 2024 |title=TDs and Senators salaries |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/salaries-and-allowances/salaries/ |access-date=18 June 2024 |work=Houses of the Oireachtas}}</ref> [[Government of Ireland|Cabinet ministers]] and [[Minister of State (Ireland)|junior ministers]] receive additional allowances. Office-holders (opposition party leaders, [[Whip (politics)|whip]]s, the Ceann Comhairle, and [[Leas-Cheann Comhairle]]) also receive additional allowances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/tdssenators/salariesallowances/daileireann/#d.en.9351|title=Allowances for additional responsibilities payable to Members of Dáil Éireann|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas|access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref>

After controversy regarding alleged abuses of the [[Oireachtas]] expenses provisions, the system was simplified in 2009 and 2010 into two allowances:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=6207|title=Revised system of expense allowances for Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas |date=10 February 2010|publisher= Department of Finance, Government of Ireland |access-date=6 June 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019115259/http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=6207|archive-date=19 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/lavish-expenses-for-oireachtas-face-overhaul/27898896.html|title=Lavish expenses for Oireachtas face overhaul|last=Murphy|first=Cormac|date=21 January 2009|work=[[Evening Herald]]|access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/29/enacted/en/print|title=Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 2009|date=21 July 2009|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref><ref name="oirpsa">{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/salaries-and-allowances/parliamentary-standard-allowances/ |title=Parliamentary Standard Allowance (PSA) – Travel and Accommodation and Public Representation Allowances|publisher=Oireachtas|access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref>

*Travel and accommodation allowance – ranging from €9,000 for TDs less than 25&nbsp;km from [[Leinster House]] to €34,065 for those more than 360&nbsp;km away.<ref name="oirpsa" />
*Public Representation Allowance – for maintaining a constituency office; €20,350 for backbench TDs, less for ministers.<ref name="oirpsa" /> All expenses must be vouched, except for a "petty cash" allowance of €100 per month. Until December 2012 TDs could choose between a €25,000 vouched allowance or €15,000 unvouched.<ref name="ind28943963">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/finally-tds-must-provide-receipts-but-no-full-reform-28943963.html|title=Finally, TDs must provide receipts but no full reform|last=Kelly|first=Fiach|date=6 December 2012|work=[[Irish Independent]]|access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Members of the 1st Dáil]]
*[[Records of members of the Oireachtas]]

==References==
{{Reflist|25em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teachta Dala}}
[[Category:Teachtaí Dála| ]]
[[Category:Politics of the Republic of Ireland]]