There are 60 seats in
Seanad Éireann, the
senate of the
Oireachtas (the legislature of
Ireland). Its composition is set out in Article 18 of the
Constitution of Ireland. This provides for 11 senators to be nominated by the
Taoiseach who is appointed next after the general election to
Dáil Éireann (Ireland's house of representatives).[1]
These nominations allow the government to reach a majority in the Seanad, for smaller parties in coalition or supporting the government to achieve more significant Seanad representation, and for the appointment of
Independent members to represent particular interests. Those in the last category have included representatives from
Northern Ireland;
Billy Lawless, a resident of Chicago, nominated by
Enda Kenny in 2016 to represent the interest of the
Irish diaspora; and
Eileen Flynn, nominated by
Micheál Martin in 2020, the first
Traveller to sit in the Oireachtas.
As the outgoing Seanad continues in session after a general election to the Dáil, it is common for the outgoing Taoiseach to appoint Senators to fill the vacancies left by any nominees who were elected to the Dáil for the short period until the conclusion of the Seanad election.