Seanad
- Introduction
- What does the Seanad do?
- Who can become a Senator?
- How is the Seanad elected?
- Election of university Senators
Introduction
Seanad Éireann is the senate of Ireland. It is the Upper House of the Oireachtas (Ireland’s national Parliament) and is located in Dublin. The lower house of the Oireachtas is the Dáil.
The Seanad is composed of 60 members known as Senators. Eleven of the Senators are nominated by the Taoiseach and 49 are elected in Seanad elections.
One Senator takes the role of Cathaoirleach (Speaker/Chairperson). The Cathaoirleach chairs proceedings in the House and must act impartially.
Senators are not officially separated into political parties. However, they usually divide into groups supporting and opposing Government business when voting on issues.
What does the Seanad do?
The main function of Seanad Éireann is in relation to legislation. A Bill may start life in either the Dáil (the Lower House of the Oireachtas) or the Seanad.
The Seanad may propose amendments, reject or pass a Bill. The Dáil has the power to over-ride the Seanad's rejection of a Bill.
Bills that will result in government spending (known as money bills) must come from the Dáil and cannot be amended in the Seanad.
The Seanad has other functions, which it shares with the Dáil, such as:
- The removal from office of the President or a judge of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal or High Court
- Declaring a state of emergency
- Annulling statutory instruments
Who can become a Senator?
To become a Senator you must be:
- A citizen of Ireland
- Over 21 years old
You must not be:
- Serving a prison sentence of more than 6 months
- A judge
- A senior official of the European Union
- A civil servant
- A member of An Garda Síochána or a full-time member of the Defence Forces
How is the Seanad elected?
Forty nine of the Seanad’s 60 members are elected and 11 are nominated by the Taoiseach. Of the 49 elected members, 43 are elected from panels of candidates representing specified vocational interests. The remaining 6 members are elected by university graduates of certain universities.
A Seanad election takes place up to 90 days after Dáil Éireann has dissolved. This means that the new Dáil has assembled before the Seanad election takes place.
Seanad panel candidates
Candidates for these panels are selected by either a registered nominating organisation, or by members of the incoming Dáil or outgoing Seanad.
These registered nominating organisations are mainly non-profit making and must be representative of one of the panels listed below. The register of nominating organisations (pdf) is reviewed in February each year.
The following people may vote in an election of panel members:
- Members of the incoming Dáil
- Members of the outgoing Seanad
- Members of county councils and city councils
The panels are formed of candidates who have knowledge and practical experience in the following areas:
Cultural and educational panel
People involved with national language, culture, literature, art, education, law and medicine
Agricultural panel
People involved with agriculture and fisheries
Labour panel
People involved in either organised or unorganised labour
Industrial and commercial panel
People involved in industry and commerce, banking, finance, accountancy, engineering and architecture
Administrative panel
People involved with public administration and social services including voluntary social activities
Nominations by the Taoiseach
The Taoiseach of a new Dáil Eireann nominates 11 members of the Seanad. The Taoiseach has the final say on who is nominated, although in the case of a coalition Government it is usual for the Taoiseach to nominate some candidates on the advice of the junior coalition partner.
Under the Constitution, 2 Senators may become members of the Government. They are nominated by the Taoiseach.
Election of university Senators
University Candidates
6 Senators are elected by university graduates of:
- University of Dublin (Trinity College) (3 Senators)
- National University of Ireland (NUI) (3 Senators)
The NUI consists of:
- University College Dublin
- University College Cork
- National University of Ireland, Galway
- Maynooth University
The NUI also awards degrees in a number of other colleges. The graduates of these recognised colleges (pdf) with NUI awards may also vote in the Seanad elections.
Seanad election 2025
Ballot papers will be sent to voters on the current registers, for the University of Dublin and NUI, on 30 December 2024. Votes must be returned by post by 29 January 2025 at 11am.
Read more about the:
New higher education constituency
On 1 April 2025, a new register of electors will be published for the election of university Senators. It will replace the 2 existing registers and will be for a single 6-seat constituency.
Graduates of an additional 15 institutions of higher education can now apply to be added to the register. View the full list of designated educational institutions for the new register.
Voters on the existing registers of electors for the Seanad university candidates must also apply to be included on the new register in order to vote in elections from 1 June 2025.
The deadline to apply for the new register is 23 January 2025.
You can:
- Apply online at seanadvoter.ie or
- Download an application form (pdf) to apply by post
You do not have to live in Ireland to be registered to vote for the Seanad but you must be a citizen of Ireland.
For more information, visit seanadvoter.ie.