Cathaoirleach

This article is about the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. For other uses, see Cathaoirleach (disambiguation).

Cathaoirleach of
Seanad Éireann
since 16 December 2022
AppointerElected by the members of Seanad Éireann
Term lengthNo term limits
Inaugural holderLord Glenavy
Formation6 December 1922
Salary€114,130 annually[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

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.

Powers and functions

The 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

Cathaoirleach

This 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.

Seanad Name[4]
(Birth–Death) 		Portrait Term of office Party Panel
1922 Lord Glenavy
(1851–1931) 		6 December 1922 6 December 1928 Independent N/A
1925
1928 Thomas Westropp Bennett
(1867–1962) 		6 December 1928 19 May 1936[5] Cumann na nGaedheal N/A
1931
1934
2nd Seán Gibbons
(1883–1952) 		27 April 1938[5] 8 September 1943 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel
3rd
4th Seán Goulding
(1877–1959) 		8 September 1943 21 April 1948 Fianna Fáil Industrial and Commercial Panel
(1943–1944)
5th Administrative Panel
(1944–1948)
6th Timothy O'Donovan
(1881–1957) 		21 April 1948 14 August 1951 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
7th Liam Ó Buachalla
(1899–1970) 		14 August 1951 22 July 1954 Fianna Fáil Cultural and Educational Panel
8th Patrick Baxter
(1891–1959) 		22 July 1954 22 May 1957 Clann na Talmhan Agricultural Panel
9th Liam Ó Buachalla
(1899–1970) 		22 May 1957 5 November 1969 Fianna Fáil Cultural and Educational Panel
10th
11th
12th Michael Yeats
(1921–2007) 		5 November 1969 3 January 1973 Fianna Fáil Cultural and Educational Panel
Micheál Cranitch
(1912–1999) 		3 January 1973 1 June 1973 Fianna Fáil Nominated by the Taoiseach
13th James Dooge
(1922–2010) 		1 June 1973 27 October 1977 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel
14th Séamus Dolan
(1914–2010) 		27 October 1977 8 October 1981 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel
15th Charles McDonald
(born 1935) 		8 October 1981 13 May 1982 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
16th Tras Honan
(1930–2023) 		13 May 1982 23 February 1983 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel
17th Patrick J. Reynolds
(1920–2003) 		23 February 1983 25 April 1987 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel
18th Tras Honan
(1930–2023) 		25 April 1987 1 November 1989 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel
19th Seán Doherty
(1944–2005) 		1 November 1989 23 January 1992 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel
Seán Fallon
(1937–1995) 		23 January 1992 4 July 1995 Fianna Fáil Industrial and Commercial Panel
20th
Liam Naughten
(1944–1996) 		12 July 1995 16 November 1996 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
Liam T. Cosgrave
(born 1956) 		27 November 1996 17 September 1997 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel
21st Brian Mullooly
(born 1935) 		17 September 1997 12 September 2002 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel
22nd Rory Kiely
(1934–2018) 		12 September 2002 13 September 2007 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel
23rd Pat Moylan
(born 1946) 		13 September 2007 25 May 2011 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel
24th Paddy Burke
(born 1955) 		25 May 2011 8 June 2016 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
25th Denis O'Donovan
(born 1955) 		8 June 2016 29 June 2020 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel
26th Mark Daly
(born 1973) 		29 June 2020 16 December 2022 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel
Jerry Buttimer
(born 1967) 		16 December 2022 Incumbent Fine Gael Labour Panel

Leas-Chathaoirleach

The Cathaoirleach's deputy is the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Seanad Name
(Birth–Death) 		Portrait Term of office Party Panel
1922 James G. Douglas
(1887–1954) 		12 December 1922 9 December 1925 Independent N/A
1925 Thomas Westropp Bennett
(1867–1962) 		9 December 1925 12 December 1928 Cumann na nGaedheal N/A
1928 Patrick W. Kenny
(died 1931) 		12 December 1928 22 April 1931 Cumann na nGaedheal N/A
Patrick Hooper
(died 1931) 		6 May 1931 6 September 1931 Independent N/A
1931 Michael F. O'Hanlon
(1890–1967) 		20 January 1932 12 December 1934 Cumann na nGaedheal N/A
1934 Michael Comyn
(1871–1952) 		12 December 1934 24 February 1936 Fianna Fáil N/A
David Robinson
(1882–1943) 		11 March 1936 19 May 1936[5] Fianna Fáil N/A
2nd Pádraic Ó Máille
(1878–1946) 		11 May 1938 30 November 1938 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel
3rd Michael Tierney
(1894–1975) 		30 November 1938 27 October 1943 Fine Gael National University of Ireland
4th 27 October 1943 18 August 1944
5th Timothy O'Donovan
(1881–1957) 		18 August 1944 21 April 1948 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
6th Seán Goulding
(1877–1959) 		21 April 1948 14 August 1951 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel
7th Timothy O'Donovan
(1881–1957) 		7 November 1951 27 July 1954 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
8th Liam Ó Buachalla
(1899–1970) 		27 July 1954 29 May 1957 Fianna Fáil Cultural and Educational Panel
9th Patrick Baxter
(1891–1959) 		29 May 1957 3 April 1959 Clann na Talmhan Agricultural Panel
John O'Donovan
(1908–1982) 		30 May 1959 3 January 1962 Fine Gael Cultural and Educational Panel
10th Patrick Lindsay
(1914–1993) 		3 January 1962 30 June 1965 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel
11th James Dooge
(1922–2010) 		30 June 1965 12 November 1969 Fine Gael Labour Panel
12th 12 November 1969 20 June 1973 Industrial and Commercial Panel
13th Evelyn Owens
(1931–2010) 		20 June 1973 2 November 1977 Labour Labour Panel
14th Joe McCartin
(born 1939) 		2 November 1977 12 July 1979 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
Charles McDonald
(born 1935) 		18 July 1979 13 May 1982 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
15th Séamus Dolan
(1914–2010) 		9 October 1981 19 May 1982 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel
16th Charles McDonald
(born 1935) 		19 May 1982 9 March 1983 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
17th Tras Honan
(1930–2023) 		9 March 1983 25 April 1987 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel
18th Charles McDonald

(born 1935)

20 May 1987 8 November 1989 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
19th Liam Naughten
(1944–1996) 		8 November 1989 25 February 1993 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
20th 25 February 1993 12 July 1995
Brian Mullooly
(born 1935) 		19 July 1995 18 September 1997 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel
21st Liam T. Cosgrave
(born 1956) 		18 September 1997 13 September 2002 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel
22nd Paddy Burke
(born 1955) 		13 September 2002 13 September 2007 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
23rd 13 September 2007 25 May 2011
24th Denis O'Donovan
(born 1955) 		25 May 2011 8 June 2016 Fianna Fáil Industrial and Commercial Panel
25th Paul Coghlan
(1944–2023) 		15 June 2016 27 March 2020 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel
26th Jerry Buttimer
(born 1967) 		7 July 2020 21 August 2020 Fine Gael Labour Panel
Joe O'Reilly
(born 1955) 		22 August 2020 16 December 2022 Fine Gael Labour Panel
Mark Daly
(born 1973) 		16 December 2022 Incumbent Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel

See also

References

  1. ^ "TDs and Senators salaries". Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  2. ^ For the pronunciation in Irish, see here Archived 27 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ "Cathaoirleach". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Former Cinn Comhairle and Cathaoirligh". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  5. ^ 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.