Cathaoirleach
| Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Incumbent Denis O'Donovan since 8 June 2016 | |
| Appointer | Elected by the members of Seanad Éireann at start of a new term after a general election. |
| Term length | No term limits are imposed on the office. |
| Inaugural holder | Lord Glenavy |
| Formation | 6 December 1922 |
| Website | Official website |
Cathaoirleach (/kəˈhɪərləx/ (
listen);[1]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, who has held the office since 8 June 2016, is Fianna Fáil Senator Denis O'Donovan.
Contents
1 Powers and functions
2 List of office-holders
2.1 Cathaoirleach
2.2 Leas-Chathaoirleach
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
Powers and functions
The Cathaoirleach is the sole judge of order, and has a range of powers and functions, namely:[2]
- 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 Presidential Commission, which performs the powers and functions of the office of president of Ireland in the absence of the president.
List of office-holders
Cathaoirleach
This list includes the panel (since 1938) and political affiliation of each Cathaoirleach, as well as the number of their Seanad Éireann and time they spent in the position.
| No. | Name[3] (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Term of office | Party | Panel | Seanad | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lord Glenavy (1851–1931) |  | 6 December 1922 | 6 December 1928 | Independent | N/A | 1922 | |
1925 | ||||||||
| 2. | Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962) |  | 6 December 1928 | 19 May 1936[4] | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A | 1928 | |
1931 | ||||||||
1934 | ||||||||
| 3. | Seán Gibbons (1883–1952) | | 27 April 1938[4] | 8 September 1943 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel | 2nd | |
3rd | ||||||||
| 4. | Seán Goulding (1877–1959) | | 8 September 1943 | 21 April 1948 | Fianna Fáil | Industrial and Commercial Panel (1943–1944) Administrative Panel (1944–1948) | 4th | |
5th | ||||||||
| 5. | Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1951) | | 21 April 1948 | 14 August 1951 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 6th | |
| 6. | Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) | | 14 August 1951 | 22 July 1954 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel | 7th | |
| 7 | Patrick Baxter (1891–1959) | | 22 July 1954 | 22 May 1957 | Clann na Talmhan | Agricultural Panel | 8th | |
(6) | Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) | | 22 May 1957 | 5 November 1969 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel | 9th | |
10th | ||||||||
11th | ||||||||
| 8. | Michael Yeats (1921–2007) | | 5 November 1969 | 3 January 1973 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel | 12th | |
| 9. | Micheál Cranitch (1912–1999) | | 3 January 1973 | 1 June 1973 | Fianna Fáil | Nominated by the Taoiseach | ||
| 10. | James Dooge (1922–2010) | | 1 June 1973 | 27 October 1977 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel | 13th | |
| 11. | Séamus Dolan (1914–2010) | | 27 October 1977 | 8 October 1981 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel | 14th | |
| 12. | Charles McDonald (born 1935) | | 8 October 1981 | 13 May 1982 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 15th | |
| 13. | Tras Honan (born 1930) | | 13 May 1982 | 23 February 1983 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel | 16th | |
| 14. | Patrick J. Reynolds (1920–2003) | | 23 February 1983 | 25 April 1987 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel | 17th | |
(13) | Tras Honan (born 1930) | | 25 April 1987 | 1 November 1989 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel | 18th | |
| 15. | Seán Doherty (1944–2005) | | 1 November 1989 | 23 January 1992 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel | 19th | |
| 16. | Seán Fallon (1937–1995) | | 23 January 1992 | 12 July 1995 | Fianna Fáil | Industrial and Commercial Panel | ||
20th | ||||||||
| 17. | Liam Naughten (1944–1996) | | 12 July 1995 | 16 November 1996 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | ||
| 18. | Brian Mullooly (born 1935) | | 16 November 1996 | 27 November 1996 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel | ||
| 19. | Liam T. Cosgrave (born 1956) | | 27 November 1996 | 17 September 1997 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel | ||
(18) | Brian Mullooly (born 1935) | | 17 September 1997 | 12 September 2002 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel | 21st | |
| 20. | Rory Kiely (1934–2018) | | 12 September 2002 | 13 September 2007 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel | 22nd | |
| 21. | Pat Moylan (born 1946) | | 13 September 2007 | 25 May 2011 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel | 23rd | |
| 22. | Paddy Burke (born 1955) |  | 25 May 2011 | 8 June 2016 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel | 24th | |
| 23. | Denis O'Donovan (born 1955) |  | 8 June 2016 | Incumbent | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel | 25th | |
Leas-Chathaoirleach
The Cathaoirleach's deputy is the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The current Leas-Cathaoirleach is Fine Gael Senator Paul Coghlan, since 15 June 2016.
See also
Ceann Comhairle (Chairperson of Dáil Éireann)- Politics of the Republic of Ireland
- History of the Republic of Ireland
- Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State)
- Leader of the Seanad
References
^ For the pronunciation in Irish, see here.
^ "Cathaoirleach". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 January 2019..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Former Cinn Comhairle and Cathaoirligh". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^ ab 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.
External links
- Official website
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