Cathaoirleach (/kəˈhɪərləx/ ;[2] Irish for chairperson; plural: Cathaoirligh) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach is Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer, who has held the office since 16 December 2022.
| Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Appointer | Elected by the members of Seanad Éireann |
| Term length | No term limits |
| Inaugural holder | Lord Glenavy |
| Formation | 6 December 1922 |
| Salary | €114,130 annually[1] |
| Website | Official website |
Powers and functions
editThe Cathaoirleach is the sole judge of order, and has a range of powers and functions, namely:[3]
- Calls on members to speak and all speeches must be addressed to the Chair.
- Puts such questions to the House as are required, supervises Divisions and declares the results.
- Has authority to suppress disorder, to enforce prompt obedience to Rulings and may order members to withdraw from the House or name them for suspension by the House itself for a period.
- In the case of great disorder can suspend or adjourn the House.
The Cathaoirleach is also an ex officio member of the Council of State, which advises the president of Ireland in the exercise of their discretionary powers, and of the Presidential Commission, which performs the powers and functions of the office of president in their absence.
List of office-holders
editCathaoirleach
editThis list includes the panel (since 1938) and political affiliation of each Cathaoirleach, as well as the number of the Seanad and time they spent in the position.
Leas-Chathaoirleach
editThe Cathaoirleach's deputy is the Leas-Chathaoirleach.
| Name (Birth–Death) |
Portrait | Term of office | Party | Panel | Seanad | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James G. Douglas (1887–1954) |
|
12 December 1922 | 9 December 1925 | Independent | N/A | 1922 | |
| Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962) |
|
9 December 1925 | 12 December 1928 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A | 1925 | |
| Patrick W. Kenny (died 1931) |
|
12 December 1928 | 22 April 1931 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A | 1928 | |
| Patrick Hooper (died 1931) |
|
6 May 1931 | 6 September 1931 | Independent | N/A | ||
| Michael F. O'Hanlon (1890–1967) |
|
20 January 1932 | 12 December 1934 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A | 1931 | |
| Michael Comyn (1871–1952) |
|
12 December 1934 | 24 February 1936 | Fianna Fáil | N/A | 1934 | |
| David Robinson (1882–1943) |
|
11 March 1936 | 19 May 1936[5] | Fianna Fáil | N/A | ||
| Pádraic Ó Máille (1878–1946) |
|
11 May 1938 | 30 November 1938 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel | 2nd | |
| Michael Tierney (1894–1975) |
30 November 1938 | 27 October 1943 | Fine Gael | National University of Ireland | 3rd | ||
| 27 October 1943 | 18 August 1944 | 4th | |||||
| Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957) |
|
18 August 1944 | 21 April 1948 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 5th | |
| Seán Goulding (1877–1959) |
|
21 April 1948 | 14 August 1951 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel | 6th | |
| Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957) |
|
7 November 1951 | 27 July 1954 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 7th | |
| Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) |
|
27 July 1954 | 29 May 1957 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel | 8th | |
| Patrick Baxter (1891–1959) |
|
29 May 1957 | 3 April 1959 | Clann na Talmhan | Agricultural Panel | 9th | |
| John O'Donovan (1908–1982) |
|
30 May 1959 | 3 January 1962 | Fine Gael | Cultural and Educational Panel | ||
| Patrick Lindsay (1914–1993) |
|
3 January 1962 | 30 June 1965 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel | 10th | |
| James Dooge (1922–2010) |
|
30 June 1965 | 12 November 1969 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel | 11th | |
| 12 November 1969 | 20 June 1973 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | 12th | ||||
| Evelyn Owens (1931–2010) |
|
20 June 1973 | 2 November 1977 | Labour | Labour Panel | 13th | |
| Joe McCartin (born 1939) |
|
2 November 1977 | 9 October 1981 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 14th | |
| Séamus Dolan (1914–2010) |
|
9 October 1981 | 19 May 1982 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel | 15th | |
| Charles McDonald (born 1935) |
|
19 May 1982 | 9 March 1983 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 16th | |
| Tras Honan (1930–2023) |
|
9 March 1983 | 25 April 1987 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel | 17th | |
| Charles McDonald
(born 1935) |
|
20 May 1987 | 8 November 1989 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 18th | |
| Liam Naughten (1944–1996) |
|
8 November 1989 | 25 February 1993 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 19th | |
| 25 February 1993 | 12 July 1995 | 20th | |||||
| Brian Mullooly (born 1935) |
|
19 July 1995 | 18 September 1997 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel | ||
| Liam T. Cosgrave (born 1956) |
|
18 September 1997 | 13 September 2002 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel | 21st | |
| Paddy Burke (born 1955) |
|
13 September 2002 | 13 September 2007 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 22nd | |
| 13 September 2007 | 25 May 2011 | 23rd | |||||
| Denis O'Donovan (born 1955) |
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|
25 May 2011 | 8 June 2016 | Fianna Fáil | Industrial and Commercial Panel | 24th | |
| Paul Coghlan (1944–2023) |
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|
15 June 2016 | 27 March 2020 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel | 25th | |
| Jerry Buttimer (born 1967) |
|
7 July 2020 | 21 August 2020 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel | 26th | |
| Joe O'Reilly (born 1955) |
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|
22 August 2020 | 16 December 2022 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel | ||
| Mark Daly (born 1973) |
|
16 December 2022 | Incumbent | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "TDs and Senators salaries". Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ For the pronunciation in Irish, see here Archived 27 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Cathaoirleach". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ "Former Cinn Comhairle and Cathaoirligh". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ a b c The final sitting of Seanad Éireann of the Irish Free State was held on 19 May 1936. The Seanad was abolished on 29 May 1936. The election for the new Seanad, set up in accordance with the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, was held on 28 March 1938, and the first sitting was held on 27 April 1938.