23rd Seanad

The 23rd Seanad was in office from 2007 to 2011. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) took place in July 2007, following the 2007 general election to the 30th Dáil on 24 May.^[1] There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels by serving politicians; 6 were elected in two university constituencies; and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach. Under the Constitution of Ireland, a general election for the Seanad was required within 90 days of the dissolution of the 29th Dáil on 30 April 2007. Polls closed on 24 July 2007, and the Taoiseach's nominees were announced by Bertie Ahern on 3 August 2007. The 23rd Seanad first met at Leinster House on 13 September 2007.^[2] The term of the 23rd Seanad was from 13 September 2007 to 20 April 2011, remaining in session until the close of poll for the 24th Seanad.

23rd Seanad
← 22nd Seanad 24th Seanad →
Overview
Legislative body	Seanad Éireann
Jurisdiction	Ireland
Meeting place	Leinster House
Term	13 September 2007 – 20 April 2011
Government	27th government of Ireland (2007–2008) 28th government of Ireland (2008–2011)
Members	60
Cathaoirleach	Pat Moylan (FF)
Leas-Chathaoirleach	Paddy Burke (FG)
Leader of the Seanad	Donie Cassidy (FF)
Sessions
1st 13 September 2007 – 10 July 2008 2nd 30 September 2008 – 15 July 2009 3rd 23 September 2009 – 14 July 2010 4th 29 September 2010 – 20 April 2011

Cathaoirleach

On 13 September 2007, Pat Moylan (FF) was proposed as Cathaoirleach by Donie Cassidy (FF) and seconded by Dan Boyle (GP). He was elected without a division.^[3][4] On 26 September 2007, Paddy Burke (FG) was proposed as Leas-Chathaoirleach by Frances Fitzgerald (FG) and seconded by Maurice Cummins (FG).^[5]

Composition of the 23rd Seanad

There are a total of 60 seats in the Seanad. There are 43 Senators elected by the vocational panels, 6 elected by the Universities and 11 are nominated by the Taoiseach.

The following table shows the composition by party when the 23rd Seanad first met on 13 September 2007.

Origin Party		Vocational panels					NUI	DU	Nominated	Total
		Admin	Agri	Cult & Educ	Ind & Comm	Labour
	Fianna Fáil	4	5	3	5	5	0	0	6	28
	Fine Gael	2	4	1	3	4	0	0	0	14
	Labour Party	1	1	1	1	2	0	0	0	6
	Green Party	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
	Progressive Democrats	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
	Sinn Féin	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
	Independent	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	1	7
Total		7	11	5	9	11	3	3	11	60

Effect of changes

Party		20071	Nov. 20102	Mar. 20113
	Fianna Fáil	28	25	26
	Fine Gael	14	15	6
	Labour Party	6	6	2
	Green Party	2	3	3
	Sinn Féin	1	0	0
	Progressive Democrats	2	0	0
	Independent	7	9	8
	Vacant	0	2	15
Total		60

Notes

1. ^ The 2007 column refers to the state of parties when 23rd Seanad first met in 2007.
2. ^ The November 2010 column refers to the state of parties on the dissolution of the 30th Dáil.
3. ^ The March 2011 column refers to the state of parties after the 2011 Dáil election.

Graphical representation

This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 23rd Seanad in January 2011.

• Note: This was not the official seating plan.

List of senators

• Note: The entries for Senators who were elected or appointed to fill vacancies are shown in italics

Name	Panel	Party		Notes
Mark Daly	Administrative Panel		Fianna Fáil
Paschal Donohoe	Administrative Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Camillus Glynn	Administrative Panel		Fianna Fáil
Tony Kett	Administrative Panel		Fianna Fáil	Died on 19 April 2009[7]
Nicky McFadden	Administrative Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Brendan Ryan	Administrative Panel		Labour	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Diarmuid Wilson	Administrative Panel		Fianna Fáil
James Carroll	Administrative Panel		Fianna Fáil	Elected to Seanad on 26 November 2009, replacing Tony Kett[8]
Paul Bradford	Agricultural Panel		Fine Gael
Paddy Burke	Agricultural Panel		Fine Gael	Leas-Chathaoirleach
Peter Callanan	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil	Died on 11 October 2009[9]
John Carty	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil
Pearse Doherty	Agricultural Panel		Sinn Féin	Elected to Dáil Éireann in a by-election on 26 November 2010[10]
Alan Kelly	Agricultural Panel		Labour	Elected to the European Parliament on 7 June 2009[11]
Pat Moylan	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil	Cathaoirleach
Francis O'Brien	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil
John Paul Phelan	Agricultural Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Eugene Regan	Agricultural Panel		Fine Gael
Jim Walsh	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil	Resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip on 7 July 2010[12] Rejoined the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 23 November 2010[13]
Niall Ó Brolcháin	Agricultural Panel		Green	Elected to Seanad in a by-election on 14 December 2009, replacing Alan Kelly[14]
Paschal Mooney	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil	Elected to Seanad in a by-election on 19 January 2010, replacing Peter Callanan[15]
Cecilia Keaveney	Cultural and Educational Panel		Fianna Fáil
Labhrás Ó Murchú	Cultural and Educational Panel		Fianna Fáil	Resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip on 7 July 2010[12] Rejoined the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 23 November 2010[13]
Ann Ormonde	Cultural and Educational Panel		Fianna Fáil
Liam Twomey	Cultural and Educational Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Alex White	Cultural and Educational Panel		Labour	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Larry Butler	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil	Resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip on 5 June 2010[16]
Paudie Coffey	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Paul Coghlan	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fine Gael
Dominic Hannigan	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Labour	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Marc MacSharry	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil
Denis O'Donovan	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil	Lost the Fianna Fáil party whip on 25 June 2010[12] Rejoined the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 19 October 2010[17]
Joe O'Reilly	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Kieran Phelan	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil	Died on 26 May 2010[18]
Mary White	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil
Jerry Buttimer	Labour Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Donie Cassidy	Labour Panel		Fianna Fáil	Leader of the Seanad
Maurice Cummins	Labour Panel		Fine Gael
Geraldine Feeney	Labour Panel		Fianna Fáil
Frances Fitzgerald	Labour Panel		Fine Gael	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
John Hanafin	Labour Panel		Fianna Fáil	Resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip on 7 July 2010[12] Rejoined the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 23 November 2010[13]
Fidelma Healy Eames	Labour Panel		Fine Gael
Terry Leyden	Labour Panel		Fianna Fáil
Michael McCarthy	Labour Panel		Labour	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Ned O'Sullivan	Labour Panel		Fianna Fáil
Phil Prendergast	Labour Panel		Labour
Rónán Mullen	National University of Ireland		Independent
Joe O'Toole	National University of Ireland		Independent
Feargal Quinn	National University of Ireland		Independent
Ivana Bacik	Dublin University		Independent	Joined the Labour Party on 23 September 2009[19]
David Norris	Dublin University		Independent
Shane Ross	Dublin University		Independent	Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Dan Boyle	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Green
Martin Brady	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil
Ivor Callely	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil	Resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip on 5 June 2010[16] Resigned from the Fianna Fáil party on 24 August 2010[20]
Ciarán Cannon	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Progressive Democrats	Joined Fine Gael on 24 March 2009[21] Elected to Dáil at the 2011 general election[6]
Maria Corrigan	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil
Déirdre de Búrca	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Green	Resigned from the Seanad on 12 February 2010[22]
John Ellis	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil
Eoghan Harris	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Independent
Lisa McDonald	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil
Brian Ó Domhnaill	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil
Fiona O'Malley	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Progressive Democrats	Sat as an independent on dissolution of the Progressive Democrats in December 2009[23]
Mark Dearey	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Green	Appointed on 23 February 2010, replacing Déirdre de Búrca[24]
Darragh O'Brien	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil	Nominated on 4 March 2011 to fill vacancy[25]

Changes

Fourteen senators were elected to the 31st Dáil at the general election on 25 February 2011.^[6]

Date	Panel	Loss		Gain		Note
24 March 2009	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Progressive Democrats		Fine Gael	Ciarán Cannon joins Fine Gael[21]
19 April 2009	Administrative Panel		Fianna Fáil			Death of Tony Kett[7]
7 June 2009	Agricultural Panel		Labour			Alan Kelly elected to the European Parliament[11]
23 September 2009	Dublin University		Independent		Labour	Ivana Bacik takes Labour Party whip[19]
11 October 2009	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil			Death of Peter Callanan[9]
26 November 2009	Administrative Panel				Fianna Fáil	James Carroll elected unopposed, succeeding Tony Kett[26][8]
11 December 2009	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Progressive Democrats		Independent	Fiona O'Malley becomes an independent on dissolution of the Progressive Democrats[23]
14 December 2009	Agricultural Panel				Green	Niall Ó Brolcháin elected in a by-election, replacing Alan Kelly[26][14]
19 January 2010	Agricultural Panel				Fianna Fáil	Paschal Mooney elected in a by-election, replacing Peter Callanan[27][15][28]
12 February 2010	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Green			Déirdre de Búrca resigns from the Seanad<ref[22][29]
23 February 2010	Nominated by the Taoiseach				Green	Mark Dearey appointed, replacing Déirdre de Búrca[24][30]
26 May 2010	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil			Death of Kieran Phelan[18][31]
5 June 2010	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil		Independent	Larry Butler resigns the Fianna Fáil party whip[16]
5 June 2010	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fianna Fáil		Independent	Ivor Callely resigns the Fianna Fáil party whip[16]
25 June 2010	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fianna Fáil		Independent	Denis O'Donovan loses the Fianna Fáil party whip[12]
7 July 2010	Labour Panel		Fianna Fáil		Independent	John Hanafin resigns the Fianna Fáil party whip in opposition to Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill[12]
7 July 2010	Agricultural Panel		Fianna Fáil		Independent	Jim Walsh resigns the Fianna Fáil party whip in opposition to Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill[12]
7 July 2010	Cultural and Educational Panel		Fianna Fáil		Independent	Labhrás Ó Murchú resigns the Fianna Fáil party whip in opposition to Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill[12]
24 August 2010	Nominated by the Taoiseach					Ivor Callely resigns from the Fianna Fáil party after expenses controversy[20]
19 October 2010	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Independent		Fianna Fáil	Denis O'Donovan rejoined the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party[17]
23 November 2010	Agricultural Panel		Independent		Fianna Fáil	Jim Walsh rejoins the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party[13]
23 November 2010	Labour Panel		Independent		Fianna Fáil	John Hanafin rejoins the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party[13]
23 November 2010	Cultural and Educational Panel		Independent		Fianna Fáil	Labhrás Ó Murchú rejoins Fianna Fáil parliamentary party[13]
26 November 2010	Agricultural Panel		Sinn Féin			Pearse Doherty elected to the 30th Dáil in a by-election[10][32]
25 February 2011	Administrative Panel		Fine Gael			Paschal Donohoe elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Administrative Panel		Fine Gael			Nicky McFadden elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Administrative Panel		Labour			Brendan Ryan elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Agricultural Panel		Fine Gael			John Paul Phelan elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Cultural and Educational Panel		Fine Gael			Liam Twomey elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Cultural and Educational Panel		Labour			Alex White elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fine Gael			Paudie Coffey elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Labour			Dominic Hannigan elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Industrial and Commercial Panel		Fine Gael			Joe O'Reilly elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Labour Panel		Fine Gael			Jerry Buttimer elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Labour Panel		Fine Gael			Frances Fitzgerald elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Labour Panel		Labour			Michael McCarthy elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Dublin University		Independent			Shane Ross elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
25 February 2011	Nominated by the Taoiseach		Fine Gael			Ciarán Cannon elected to the 31st Dáil[6]
4 March 2011	Nominated by the Taoiseach				Fianna Fáil	Darragh O'Brien nominated to fill vacancy[25]