SENATORS

The Irish Parliament (Legislature) consists of two Houses, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann.The Members of Seanad Éireann (Senate) are referred to as Senators and this leaflet gives a general overview of their work.

Tá dhá theach i bParlaimint na hÉireann (an tOireachtas) is é sin le rá Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann. Seanadóirí a thugtar ar chomhaltaí de Sheanad Éireann (an Seanad) agus tugtar léargas ginearálta ar a gcuid oibre sa bhileog seo.

A General Election to Seanad Éireann must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of Dáil Éireann. Seanad Éireann is composed of 60 Members as follows:

(i) 11 nominated by the Taoiseach.

(ii) 43 elected from five panels representing vocational interests namely,

Culture and Education, Agriculture, Labour, Industry and Commerce and Public Administration.

(iii) Six elected by the graduates of two universities - three each by the National University of Ireland and the University of Dublin (Trinity College).

Ní foláir Olltoghchán do Sheanad Éireann a bheith ann laistigh de 90 lá tar éis lánscor do Dháil Éireann. 60 comhalta atá i Seanad Éireann arna chomhdhéanamh mar a leanas:

(i) Ainmníonn an Taoiseach aon chomhalta dhéag.

(ii) Toghtar triúr is daichead as cúig Rolla atá ionadaitheach do ghnóthaí gairme eadhon An tSaíocht Náisiúnta agus Oideachas, Talmhaíocht, Oibreachas, Tionscal agus Tráchtáil agus Riarachán Poiblí.

(iii) Toghann céimithe de chuid dhá ollscoil seisear: triúr ó Ollscoil na hÉireann agus triúr ó Ollscoil Bhaile Átha Cliath (Coláiste na Tríonóide).

In theory, Seanad Éireann does not recognise party affiliations. However, as the electorate for the panels is made up of the Members of the incoming Dáil, the outgoing Seanad, county councils and county borough councils, the composition of Seanad Éireann, including the Taoiseach's nominees, will tend to reflect party strengths in Dáil Éireann. In practice, Senators will divide into groups supporting and opposing Government business when voting on issues. Furthermore, the Constitution provides that not more than two Senators may be members of the Government and this provision has been exercised twice in the last 60 years.

Go teoiriciúil, ní aithníonn Seanad Éireann cleamhnachtaí páirtí. Ó tharla, áfach, gurb é atá i dtoghlacht na rollaí ná comhaltaí na Dála nuathofa, comhaltaí an tSeanaid atá ag dul as oifig agus comhaltaí na gComhairlí Contae agus na gComhairlí Contaebhuirge, bíonn comhdhéanamh Sheanad Éireann, lena n-áirítear na comhaltaí a ainmníonn an Taoiseach, ar aon dul go hiondúil, le neart na bpáirtithe i nDáil Éireann. Go praiticiúil, roinnfidh Seanadóirí ina ngrúpaí ag tacú le gnó an Rialtais agus ag cur ina choinne le linn vótáil ar cheisteanna. Ina theannta sin, tá foráil sa Bhunreacht lena gceadaítear beirt Sheanadóir, ar a mhéad, a bheith ina gcomhaltaí den Rialtas agus feidhmíodh an fhoráil sin faoi dhó le seasca bliain anuas.

Seanad Éireann normally meets on Wednesdays and Thursdays and its main business is the revising of legislation sent to it by Dáil Éireann. However, in recent years the Government has tended to make greater use of Seanad Éireann to initiate legislation. Seanad Éireann can initiate and revise legislation but under the Constitution its legislative role is restricted in that it cannot initiate Money Bill i.e. financial legislation, and can only make recommendations but not amendments to such Bills. The fact that a Dáil Bill must be examined also by Seanad Éireann is a safeguard against legislation being enacted too quickly. In addition to its legislative role, Seanad Éireann also debates important issues. Indeed, as the Government is constitutionally responsible to Dáil Éireann, Seanad Éireann can debate these issues with greater freedom because the fate of the Government will not be at stake. Moreover, Seanad Éireann cannot delay indefinitely legislation which has already been passed by Dáil Éireann and cannot initiate Bills to amend the Constitution.

Is gnách do Sheanad Éireann teacht le chéile Dé Céadaoin agus Déardaoin agus is é a phríomhghnó ná athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar reachtaíocht a chuireann Dáil Éireann chuige. Le blianta beaga anuas, áfach, is mó feidhm a bhaineann an Rialtas as Seanad Éireann chun reachtaíocht a thionscnamh. Tig le Seanad Éireann reachtaíocht a thionscnamh agus a athbhreithniú ach, faoin mBunreacht, cuirtear srian lena ról reachtach sa mhéid nach dtig leis Billí Airgid a thionscnamh i.e. reachtaíocht airgeadais, agus nach dtig leis ach moltaí, seachas leasuithe, a dhéanamh maidir le Billí den sórt sin. De thairbhe nach foláir do Sheanad Éireann Billí de chuid Dháil Éireann a scrúdú freisin tá cosaint ann in aghaidh reachtaíocht a achtú róthapa. I dteannta a róil reachtaigh déanann Seanad Éireann díospóireacht ar cheisteanna tábhachtacha. Le fírinne, ó tharla go bhfuil an Rialtas freagrach go bunreachtúil do Dháil Éireann, tá níos mó saoirse ag Seanad Éireann maidir le díospóireacht a dhéanamh ar cheisteanna den sórt sin mar nach mbíonn cinniúint an Rialtais i dtreis. Thairis sin, ní thig le Seanad Éireann moill gan teorainn a chur le reachtaíocht atá rite cheana ag Dáil Éireann ná ní thig leis Billí a thionscnamh chun an Bunreacht a leasú.

A typical working day for a Senator involves researching and preparing speeches for debates on social, economic and financial issues, drafting amendments to Bills and examining proposals for new legislation, contributing to debates on Bills and other important matters, voting on issues in the House and making representations on behalf of individuals and others to Government Ministers. In recent years, the setting up of a well organised system of Joint Committees (i.e. Committees of both Houses sitting and voting together) has resulted in Senators having additional opportunities to participate to an even greater extent in specialised parliamentary work. ( For a full list of Committees see leaflet entitled "Parliamentary Committees" ).

Áirítear i ngnáth-lá oibre an tSeanadóra taighde a dhéanamh agus oráidí a ullmhú le haghaidh díospóireachtaí ar cheisteanna sóisialta, eacnamaíochta agus airgeadais, leasuithe ar reachtaíocht nua a dhréachtú agus moltaí le haghaidh reachtaíochta nua a scrúdú, páirt a ghlacadh i ndíospóireachtaí ar Bhillí agus ar ábhair thábhachtacha eile, vóta a chaitheamh ar cheisteanna sa Teach agus uiríollacha a dhéanamh thar ceann pearsana aonair agus daoine eile chuig Airí Rialtais. Le blianta beaga anuas, de thoradh ar bhunú chóras dea-eagraithe na gComhchoistí (i.e. Coistí den dá Theach ag suí agus ag vótáil le chéile) tugtar deiseanna breise do Sheanadóirí páirt níos mó a ghlacadh i sainobair pharlaiminteach.

(Chun liosta iomlán Choistí an 29ú Dáil a fheiceáil, féach bileog dar dteideal "Coistí Parlaiminte").  

In addition to their parliamentary duties, Senators also make themselves available to assist members of the public who may require advice or guidance on matters relating to State administration. Senators will often be members of health boards, local authorities and VEC's and will frequently be called upon by the media to comment on current political issues and to participate in broadcast debates.

I dteannta a ndualgas parlaiminteach, bíonn Seanadóirí ar fáil freisin chun cúnamh a thabhairt do dhaoine den phobal a bhfuil comhairle nó treoir faoi riarachán Stáit ag teastáil uathu. Is minic Seanadóirí ina gcomhaltaí de Bhoird Sláinte, d'údaráis áitiúla agus de choistí gairmoideachais agus iarrann na meáin chumarsáide orthu go minic a dtuairimí a thabhairt ar cheisteanna reatha polaitíochta agus páirt a ghlacadh i ndíospóireachtaí ar chláir theilifíse agus raidió.

Members are provided by law with a range of entitlements (e.g. secretarial assistance, mileage, subsistence, postal and telephone allowances) to help them to deal effectively with their duties as Senators and legislators.

Tugtar cearta áirithe do chomhaltaí le dlí (e.g. cúnamh rúnaíochta, míleáiste, cothú, liúntais phoist agus teileafóin) chun cabhrú leo deileáil go héifeachtach lena ndualgais.