# Seanad

Last month

May 2023

Seanad motion for government to 'keep their word' and disregard criminal records of gay men

Minister Harris said he expects to receive a final report from the working group as early in the second quarter of this year.

5.4k

May 17th 2023, 11:49 AM

# Bertie Ahern

Bertie Ahern to address Seanad next week for Good Friday Agreement anniversary

Senators will tomorrow vote to formally approve the motion for the former Taoiseach to speak.

10.0k

May 15th 2023, 10:30 PM

This year

2023

# Dublin Zoo

Report into 'serious welfare breaches' at Dublin Zoo deems majority of allegations to be 'unfounded'

Of 23 allegations, only one claim was ‘considered to be supported as per the stated allegation’.

19.1k

Jan 11th 2023, 5:12 PM

Last year

2022

# cathaoirleach

Fine Gael's Jerry Buttimer elected as new chair of the Seanad

Senators voted today on a new chair of the upper house.

10.7k

Updated

Dec 16th 2022, 1:12 PM

# ireland's triple-lock

Motion on Ireland remaining a militarily neutral state won't be opposed by Government

Taoiseach says scrapping the triple-lock is not in the Programme for Government.

18.4k

Nov 23rd 2022, 6:30 AM

# Breastfeeding

Seanad motion to call for breastfeeding lessons to be taught in Irish schools

A motion is being brought forward by Green Party senator Pauline O’Reilly in an effort to boost Ireland’s low breastfeeding rates.

17.3k

Oct 12th 2022, 2:32 PM

# Seanad

LED billboards 'should be restricted to 6 hours of illumination a day' to save energy

The call was made in the Seanad today by Senator Lynn Boylan.

13.1k

Sep 14th 2022, 5:08 PM

# shared island

Seanad committee to gather views from 'all traditions' on island of Ireland’s future

People who make written submissions be invited to attend hearings in the Seanad later this year.

11.7k

Jul 25th 2022, 3:56 PM

# Ukraine

'Your friendship and generosity will never be forgotten': Ukrainian MPs praise Ireland's response to war

Lesia Vasylenko, Alyona Shkrum, Rostyslav Tistyk and Dmytro Natalukha addressed the Seanad this afternoon.

24.3k

Jun 14th 2022, 6:16 PM

# RODERIC O GORMAN

Minister for Children apologises on behalf of Government for illegal birth registrations

A report made to the Government in September called for a state apology and a full inquiry into illegal adoptions.

26.9k

Updated

May 10th 2022, 6:59 PM

# Ukraine

Ceann Comhairle to visit Kyiv and address Ukrainian Parliament

The trip is due to take place next week.

13.5k

May 3rd 2022, 10:26 AM

# Seanad

Security analyst Tom Clonan wins the Trinity Seanad by-election

Tom Clonan, a disability campaigner, beat out Maureen Gaffney in the final count by 160 votes.

84.5k

Updated

Mar 31st 2022, 10:15 PM

# remote voting

'You could do it overnight': Referendum on letting TDs vote remotely described as 'unnecessary'

A bill seeking to amend the Constitution by allowing remote voting to take place is going before the Dáil today.

12.6k

Feb 12th 2022, 8:00 AM

# Child Abuse

Bill seeking to remove 'child pornography' term from Irish legislation to be debated in Seanad

Senator Eileen Flynn’s private members’ bill would replace the term with “child sexual exploitation material”.

16.6k

Feb 3rd 2022, 4:16 PM

# By-election

Date for Seanad by-election to fill Ivana Bacik's seat set for March

Ballot papers will be issued on 25 February and the poll will close at 11 am on 30 March.

10.1k

Jan 27th 2022, 5:37 PM

All time

# trips waiver

Seanad passes motion calling on Government to support vaccine intellectual property waiver

The Government withdrew their counter-motion after two coalition Senators refused to support it.

12.0k

Dec 16th 2021, 10:31 AM

# peat sake

New peat legislation slammed as ‘incompatible’ with climate targets and EU law

The Bill, fast-tracked by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail senators, would remove the need for planning permission to extract peat for horticultural sector use.

Legal experts argue that new peat legislation disregards strict EU environmental law, writes Niall Sargent as part of Noteworthy investigation of peat extraction

Bill would give planning exemption to peat extraction for horticulture and pause any ongoing enforcement action until at least 2026

Peatland experts are also concerned the Bill is ' not compatible' with our climate action goals

38.2k

Nov 29th 2021, 12:05 AM

# Climate

Legislation to mandate companies to report emissions moves forward in the Seanad

The Government had wanted a stay on the Bill that would delay its introduction by at least a year.

4.8k

Nov 24th 2021, 3:24 PM

# cost of politics

The cost of funding TDs climbed to €47.49 million last year

The accounts also disclose that sales at the Dáil bars and restaurants last year plunged by 70% from €1.4 million to €424,513.

11.7k

Jul 7th 2021, 1:22 PM

# emergency powers

Seanad passes extension of emergency Covid-19 powers until November, but SF to push for earlier July review date

Sinn Féin intends to put down amendments tomorrow curtailing the emergency period to 9 July rather than 9 November.

19.0k

May 24th 2021, 4:58 PM

# Upper House

FF-FG voting pact steamrolls two-seat Seanad race as there's disappointment for Hazel Chu

Fine Gael’s Maria Byrne and Fianna Fáil’s Gerry Horkan have both been elected.

40.1k

Apr 21st 2021, 4:38 PM

# Explainer

Not so rosy in the garden: Why are the Greens arguing amongst themselves again and why does it matter?

A row about a Seanad by-election has stolen attention away from a big political win – here’s why.

21.4k

Mar 25th 2021, 6:34 PM

# Green shade

Green senators table no confidence motion in Hazel Chu following decision to run in Seanad by-election

The Lord Mayor announced her nomination on Monday.

50.3k

Mar 24th 2021, 6:09 PM

# Lord Mayor

Green Party councillor Hazel Chu to run as independent candidate in Seanad by-election

She did not receive backing from her party to run.

27.5k

Mar 22nd 2021, 9:52 PM

# Legislation

Bill to allow child murder victims to be named could be made law by end of March, McEntee says

The Bill has passed through all stages of the Seanad.

11.1k

Mar 5th 2021, 6:23 PM

# Stardust fire

Stardust: Government urged to solve legal aid logjam that is delaying start of inquests

Opposition parties have urged the Taoiseach and the government to prevent any further delay right after the 40th anniversary of the disaster.

10.3k

Feb 16th 2021, 12:05 AM

# Northern Ireland Assembly

No paramilitary involvement in threats to port workers, says PSNI

The EU asked its officials in Northern Ireland not to go to work and condemned ‘any threats’ to port staff

42.2k

Updated

Feb 2nd 2021, 8:13 PM

Voices

Dr Maeve O'Rourke: Here's a full analysis of the problems with the Government's Mother and Baby Homes Bill

Lecturer Maeve O’Rourke analyses the government’s nine main arguments in relation to the Bill.

62.5k

Oct 21st 2020, 3:35 PM

# Seanad

'The nuns sent me away with your child in a wheelbarrow': Powerful speeches in debate on mother and baby homes

Senators are debating legislation related to records compiled by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

60.7k

Updated

Oct 16th 2020, 5:29 PM

# golf event

'Serious lapse of judgement': Fine Gael's Jerry Buttimer resigns as Leas Cathaoirleach of the Seanad

Buttimer was one of the attendees at the Oireachtas Golf Society event.

53.6k

118

Aug 21st 2020, 10:12 AM

# Special Criminal Court

Seanad votes to continue serious organised crime trials to be heard without a jury for another year

New Justice Minister Helen McEntee addressed senators today on why the legislation should be extended.

15.3k

Jun 29th 2020, 10:42 PM

# Seanad

Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly has been elected Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann

Daly is succeeding Senator Dennis O’Donovan in the role.

20.5k

Jun 29th 2020, 3:47 PM

# Seanad

High Court rejects case from Senators who wanted clarity on rules for Seanad sittings

The issue raised in a case against the State no longer remains, but the court said it “could arise again” in the future.

8.8k

Jun 29th 2020, 2:16 PM

# Seanad

Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces his 11 Seanad nominees

The Seanad is due to meet at the Dublin Convention Centre on Monday morning.

69.9k

Jun 27th 2020, 9:04 PM

# Courts

Senators go to High Court to seek declaration that Seanad can sit without Taoiseach's appointees

There have been concerns that legislation could not be passed without a full complement of senators in place.

6.0k

Jun 16th 2020, 12:53 PM

# Seanad

Citizenship campaigner Emma DeSouza interested in possible Seanad seat

DeSouza was involved in a legal battle with the UK Home Office until last month.

40.4k

Updated

Jun 13th 2020, 7:28 PM

# Oireachtas

Senators to seek High Court determination if Taoiseach won't set date for next Seanad sitting

A group of 10 Senators have written to Leo Varadkar urging action two months after the Seanad elections have concluded.

10.3k

Jun 6th 2020, 12:23 PM

# the seanad

Here are all the Senators elected to the 26th Seanad with all seats filled

The identities of the 11 Taoiseach’s nominees will remain unknown.

78.0k

101

Updated

Apr 3rd 2020, 10:20 PM

# Upper House

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan and Independent Rónán Mullen elected to the Seanad

Former TDs Michael D’Arcy and Eugene Murphy have been elected.

42.8k

108

Updated

Apr 1st 2020, 3:58 PM

# Seanad

Three former TDs elected to the Seanad as counting continues

Sinn Féin’s Fintan Warfield and Fine Gael councillor John McGahon also won a seat.

49.7k

Updated

Mar 31st 2020, 12:58 PM