The 27th Seanad has been in office since February 2025. The 2025 Seanad election took place in January 2025, following the 2024 general election to the 34th Dáil on 29 November 2024. It was fully composed on 7 February 2025 on the nomination of members by the Taoiseach.

It is the first Seanad to have a member from Aontú, as well as the first senator elected for the Social Democrats.

Background The Constitution of Ireland requires a general election for Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas, to take place no later than ninety days after the dissolution of Dáil Éireann. 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 are nominated by the taoiseach who was appointed after the assembly of the 34th Dáil. It will remain in office until the close of poll for the 28th Seanad.

The 33rd Dáil was dissolved on 8 November 2024. On 15 November 2024, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, signed orders for the Seanad election, providing 29 January as the deadline for ballots in the university constituencies and 30 January as the deadline for ballots for the vocational panels. Under the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Act 2024, this is to be the last Seanad in which the two university constituencies will exist. At the next Seanad general election, they will be replaced by a new Higher Education constituency.

On 7 February 2025, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, nominated eleven members with their prior consent to be members of the Seanad.

Cathaoirleach Cathaoirleach Senator Mark Daly (12 February 2025 – present) Leas-Cathaoirleach Senator Maria Byrne (19 February 2025 – present)

On 12 February 2025, Mark Daly (FF) was proposed as Cathaoirleach by Fiona O'Loughlin (FF) and seconded by Shane Curley (FF). He was elected without a division.

On 19 February 2025, Maria Byrne (FG) was proposed as Leas-Chathaoirleach by Seán Kyne (FG) and seconded by Joe O'Reilly (FG). Eileen Flynn (Ind) was proposed by Frances Black (Ind) and seconded by Nessa Cosgrove (Lab). Byrne was elected by a vote of 36 to 15.

Composition of the 27th Seanad

rowspan="2" colspan="2" Vocational panels NUI DU Nominated TotalAdminAgriCult & EducInd & CommLabour Fianna Fáil 3 3 1 3 3 0 0 6 19 Fine Gael 2 4 2 2 3 0 0 5 18 Sinn Féin 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 6 Labour Party 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 Green Party 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Aontú 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Social Democrats 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Independent 1 1 1 2 1 3 3 0 12 Total 7 11 5 9 11 3 3 11 60 Government parties are denoted with bullets ().

Effect of changes  Feb. 2025May 2026 19 18 6 2 1 1 1 12 1Total60

Gender composition 27 of the 60 Senators elected or appointed to the 27th Seanad in the 2025 Seanad election were women. This represents 45% of all members of the Seanad, the highest number of women senators to date. This compares to 25.5% of women who made up the membership of the 34th Dáil following the 2024 general election.

List of senators The members of the 27th Seanad are listed by panel, constituency, or those nominated.

Panel Name Portrait Party affiliation Assumed office Start of Seanad term Current Administrative PanelGarret Ahearn Fine Gael 29 June 2020Martin Conway Fine Gael Independent 25 May 2011Mark Daly Fianna Fáil 13 September 2007Eileen Flynn Independent 29 June 2020Fiona O'Loughlin Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020Nicole Ryan Sinn Féin 30 January 2025 Diarmuid Wilson Fianna Fáil 12 September 2002 Agricultural PanelNiall Blaney Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020Paraic Brady Fine Gael 30 January 2025Victor Boyhan Independent 8 June 2016Maria Byrne Fine Gael 21 April 2021Joanne Collins Sinn Féin 30 January 2025Teresa Costello Fianna Fáil 30 January 2025Paul Daly Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016Eileen Lynch Fine Gael 30 January 2025P. J. Murphy Fine Gael 30 January 2025Malcolm Noonan Green Party 30 January 2025Sarah O'Reilly Aontú 30 January 2025 Cultural and Educational PanelCathal Byrne Fine Gael 30 January 2025Joe Conway Independent 30 January 2025Shane Curley Fianna Fáil 30 January 2025Seán Kyne Fine Gael 20 February 2020Pauline Tully Sinn Féin 30 January 2025 Industrial and Commercial PanelFrances Black Independent 8 June 2016Ollie Crowe Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020Aidan Davitt Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016Mary Fitzpatrick Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020Laura Harmon Labour 30 January 2025Garret Kelleher Fine Gael 30 January 2025Sharon Keogan Independent 29 June 2020Conor Murphy Sinn Féin 30 January 2025Linda Nelson Murray Fine Gael 30 January 2025 Labour PanelChris Andrews Sinn Féin 30 January 2025Pat Casey Fianna Fáil 29 June 2020Nessa Cosgrove Labour 30 January 2025Gerard Craughwell Independent 14 October 2014Mark Duffy Fine Gael 30 January 2025Robbie Gallagher Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016Mike Kennelly Fine Gael 30 January 2025Maria McCormack Sinn Féin 30 January 2025Margaret Murphy O'Mahony Fianna Fáil 30 January 2025Joe O'Reilly Fine Gael 8 June 2016Patricia Stephenson Social Democrats 30 January 2025 National University of IrelandAlice-Mary Higgins Independent 8 June 2016Michael McDowell Independent 8 June 2016Rónán Mullen Independent 13 September 2007 Dublin UniversityTom Clonan Independent 5 April 2022Aubrey McCarthy Independent 30 January 2025Lynn Ruane Independent 8 June 2016 Taoiseach's nomineesManus Boyle Fine Gael 7 February 2025Nikki Bradley Fine Gael 10 July 2024Lorraine Clifford-Lee Fianna Fáil 8 June 2016Alison Comyn Fianna Fáil 7 February 2025Evanne Ní Chuilinn Fine Gael 7 February 2025Joe Flaherty Fianna Fáil 10 December 2024Imelda Goldsboro Fianna Fáil 7 February 2025Noel O'Donovan Fine Gael 7 February 2025Anne Rabbitte Fianna Fáil 10 December 2024Dee Ryan Fianna Fáil 7 February 2025Gareth Scahill Fine Gael 7 February 2025

Changes

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