Seanad Éireann, the upper House of the Oireachtas, has been addressed on occasion by invited non-members. Since 22 May 2001, the Seanad's standing orders allow its Committee on Procedure and Privilege (CPP) to approve the attendance of an Irish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the house. (Currently S.O.57; originally S.O.52A, and later S.O.56.) In July 2011, S.O.57 was extended to "representatives and persons in public and civic life".Seanad debates Vol.209 No.10 p.5 Separately, the CPP can recommend inviting "Distinguished Persons" to address the house; since the late 1990s this has been extended, typically to EU officials.
Senators have also been present alongside TDs at joint sessions of the Seanad and Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas: see list of addresses to the Oireachtas.
Date (link to text) Seanad Speaker Role Country /Institution Notes 28 March 1996(20th) Member of the Institute of European Affairs Ireland Former professor, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cathaoirleach. 29 October 1996 (20th) Commissioner for Transport European Commission (Santer) 19 November 1998 (21st) President European Commission (Santer) 14 November 2001 (21st) Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy European Commission (Prodi) 10 October 2002 (22nd) President European Parliament 13 November 2003 (22nd) MEP for Dublin Ireland Invited under S.O.52ASeanad debates Vol.174 No.13 p.5 26 November 2003 (22nd) MEP for Connacht–Ulster Ireland Invited under S.O.52ASeanad debates Vol.174 No.18 p.5 27 November 2003 (22nd) President European Parliament Cox was invited as a Distinguished Person, rather than as an MEP under S.O.52A. 27 November 2003 (22nd) MEP for Connacht–Ulster Ireland Invited under S.O.52ASeanad debates Vol.174 No.19 p.5 27 November 2003 (22nd) MEP for Leinster Ireland Invited under S.O.52A 27 November 2003 (22nd) MEP for Connacht–Ulster Ireland Invited under S.O.52ASeanad debates Vol.174 No.24 p.6 11 December 2003 (22nd) MEP for Leinster Ireland Invited under S.O.52A 11 December 2003 (22nd) MEP for Munster Ireland Invited under S.O.52A 3 March 2004 (22nd) MEP for Northern Ireland European Parliament 8 November 2006 (22nd) Ambassador to the United States European Union Former Taoiseach 8 April 2008 (23rd) President European Parliament 12 July 2011 (24th) President European Parliament 28 September 2011 (24th) President of the Irish Human Rights Commission Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates Vol.201 No.5 p.4 Chair of the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions; Chancellor of the National University of Ireland; Former Leader of the Seanad 24 November 2011 (24th) President of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate JusticeSeanad debates Vol.211 No.10 p.5 Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2). Former Senator, President of Ireland, and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Address on "the importance of the Seanad in her career as a human rights activist". 3 July 2012 (24th) Grand secretary Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates Vol. 215 No.14 p.8 8 November 2012 (24th) Professor of Economics London School of Economics Address on the topic "Youth Unemployment and Public Policy".Seanad debates, 8 November 2012, p.8 Co-laureate of 2010 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. 24 January 2013 (24th) MEP for Dublin Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2)Seanad debates, 23 January 2013, p.9 29 January 2013 (24th) MEP for East Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2). 13 February 2013 (24th) MEP for South Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates, 12 February 2013, p.22 28 February 2013 (24th) MEP for Dublin Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates, 27 February 2013, p.11 25 April 2013 (24th) MEP for North-West Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates, 24 April 2013, p.9 30 April 2013 (24th) MEP for South Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates, 25 April 2013, p.9 1 May 2013 (24th) MEP for East Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2). 2 May 2013 (24th) MEP for North-West Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2). 8 May 2013 (24th) Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science European Commission (Barroso II) 16 May 2013 (24th) MEP for North-West Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates, 15 May 2013, p.10 29 May 2013 (24th) Special Representative and head of UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction United Nations Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates, 28 May 2013, p.20 25 September 2013 (24th) General Secretary Irish Congress of Trade Unions Invited under S.O.57(2).Seanad debates, 18 September 2013, p.23 16 January 2014 (24th) Chairperson Constitutional Convention Invited under S.O.57(2). 12 June 2014 (24th) President Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Invited as a "Distinguished Person".Seanad debates, 5 June 2014, p.13 19 June 2014 (24th) Chairperson of the external assessment panel Children's Rights Alliance report card Invited under S.O.57(2). Former Supreme Court justice and president of the Law Reform Commission. Address on "children's rights in Ireland". 23 June 2015 (24th) Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development European Commission (Juncker) Invited as a "Distinguished Person". 5 October 2016 (25th) Advocate of amnesty for Irish illegal immigrants in the United States United States Address instigated by Billy Lawless. Topic was "undocumented Irish and immigration reform". Invited under S.O.57(2). 29 November 2016 (25th) First Minister Scottish Government Invited as a "Distinguished Person". 21 March 2018 (25th) Sports broadcaster Ireland Invited under S.O.57(2). The address, to mark ("the Year of Irish") was mainly in Irish and partly in English. Responses from senators also mixed the two languages. 26 April 2018 (25th) Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development European Commission (Juncker) Invited as a "Distinguished Person". 8 November 2018 (25th) Lord Mayor Belfast Invited under S.O.57(2). 29 January 2019 (25th) President Gaelic Athletic Association Invited under S.O.57(2). After Horan's initial address, Senators made comments and questions, with Horan giving a final speech in response. 22 September 2021 (26th) , Maria Walsh MEP for Midlands–North-West Ireland Invited under S.O.57(1). Luke 'Ming' Flanagan and Chris MacManus were invited but could not attend. 2 November 2021 (26th) , Ciarán Cuffe, Clare Daly, Frances Fitzgerald MEPs for Dublin Ireland Invited under S.O.57(1). 18 November 2021 (26th) Taoiseach Ireland Invited "notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders". 23 February 2022 (26th) , Grace O'Sullivan, Seán Kelly MEPs for South Ireland Invited under S.O.57(1). Deirdre Clune and Mick Wallace were invited but did not attend. 3 March 2022 (26th) Irish language in Northern Ireland activist Turas Invited under S.O.57(2). To mark Seachtain na Gaeilge. 24 May 2022 (26th) Chairman of Congressional Friends of Ireland United States Invited as a "Distinguished Person". 14 June 2022 (26th) , Alyona Shkrum, Rostyslav Tistyk, Dmytro Natalukha Verkhovna Rada members Ukraine Invited as "Distinguished Persons". In solidarity after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 20 September 2022 (26th) , Ciarán Cuffe, Frances Fitzgerald MEPs for Dublin Ireland Invited under S.O.57(1). Clare Daly sent apologies. 5 October 2022 (26th) Lord Speaker of the House of Lords United Kingdom Invited as a "Distinguished Person". 26 April 2023 (26th) President Gaelic Athletic Association Invited under S.O.57(2). 9 May 2023 (26th) Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union European Commission (von der Leyen) Invited under S.O.57(2). Marking Europe Day 23 May 2023 (26th) Former Taoiseach Ireland Invited as a "Distinguished Person". Marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement signed by Ahern. 13 June 2023 (26th) President of the House of Representatives Cyprus Invited as a "Distinguished Person". 27 June 2023 (26th) Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts United States Invited as a "Distinguished Person". 12 June 2024 (26th) Former President. Ireland Invited as a "Distinguished Person". Address on the "climate crisis".
See also List of addresses to the Oireachtas, includes joint sessions and Dáil addresses at which Seanad members were present.
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