Leader_of_the_Seanad

Leader of the Seanad

Leader of the Seanad

Member of Seanad Éireann appointed by the Taoiseach to direct government business

The Leader of the Seanad (referred to within the Seanad as Leader of the House Irish: Treoraí an Tí) is a member of Seanad Éireann appointed by the Taoiseach to direct government business.[1][2] Since December 2022, the incumbent is Lisa Chambers of Fianna Fáil. The Deputy leader of the Seanad is Regina Doherty of Fine Gael.

Quick Facts

Role

The Leader plays a similar role in the Seanad's procedure to that played by the Taoiseach in Dáil Éireann:[3]

  • moving the day's order of business
  • may present a government bill without prior notice
  • ex-officio member of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges
  • may move a vote of sympathy

History

In the old Seanad of the Irish Free State, there was no separate position of Leader.[1] The order of business was controlled by the Cathaoirleach (chair).[1] This was a symptom of the Seanad's independence from the Executive Council (government), which annoyed Éamon de Valera as President of the Executive Council.[1] De Valera's Fianna Fáil government secured the abolition of the Seanad in 1936.[1]

De Valera's 1937 Constitution created a new Seanad with less independence from the Dáil. The standing orders of the new Seanad provided for the role of Leader to control the flow of business from the government.[3][1] A 2004 Seanad report into reforming its own functions recommended that the Leader be allowed to attend cabinet meetings, with a rank of minister or minister of state.[1][4] Maurice Manning noted in 2010 that recent Leaders had more influence with the government, leading to increased input by the Seanad into legislation.[1]

List

More information Name, Term of office ...

References

  1. [1]
    Manning, Maurice (2010). "The Senate" (PDF). In MacCarthaigh, Muiris; Manning, Maurice (eds.). The Houses of the Oireachtas: Parliament in Ireland. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration. pp. 153–168. ISBN 978-1-904541-93-6. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  2. [2]
    "Seanad Éireann". How Parliament works. Oireachtas. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  3. [3]
    Éireann, Seanad (20 June 2017). "Standing Orders relative to Public Business" (PDF). pp. 91–92. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  4. [4]
    Committee on Procedure and Privileges, Sub-Committee on Seanad Reform (19 April 2004). "Report on Seanad Reform" (PDF). Seanad Éireann. p. 62. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2004.
  5. [5]
    "Death of Senator". Seanad Éireann (in Irish). Oireachtas. 9 March 1955. Retrieved 11 October 2018. When the Seanad was reconstituted in 1938, he was elected a member on the Agricultural Panel and served either as Leader of the House or as Leader of the Opposition until his death. [...] For the greater part of that period, he was Leader of the House and I was Leader of the Opposition. We changed places twice
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