# 17th Seanad

The 17th Seanad was in office from 1983 to 1987. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the November 1982 general election to the 24th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 18th Seanad.

## Cathaoirleach

On 23 February 1983, Patrick J. Reynolds (FG) was proposed as Cathaoirleach by James Dooge (FG) and seconded by Seán O'Leary (FG). He was elected without a division.
On 9 March 1983, Tras Honan (FF) was proposed as Leas-Chathaoirleach by Mick Lanigan (FF) and seconded by Thomas Hussey (FF). She was elected without a division.

## Composition of the 17th Seanad

There are a total of 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels, 6 were elected from two university constituencies and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach.
The following table shows the composition by party when the 17th Seanad first met on 23 February 1983.
| OriginParty | OriginParty | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | NUI | DU | Nominated | Total | Total |
| OriginParty | OriginParty | Admin | Agri | Cult & Educ | Ind & Comm | Labour | NUI | DU | Nominated | Total | Total |
| | Fine Gael | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 25 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |
| | Labour Party | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | |
| | Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| Total | Total | 7 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 60 | |

## List of senators

* Note: The entries for Senators who were elected or appointed to fill vacancies are shown in italics
| Name | Panel | Party | Notes |
| Luke Belton | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Katharine Bulbulia | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Tras Honan | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick Kennedy | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Michael Lynch | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 25th Dáil at the general election on 17 February 1987 |
| Martin O'Donoghue | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Flor O'Mahony | Administrative Panel | Labour | |
| Ulick Burke | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| John Ellis | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 25th Dáil at the general election on 17 February 1987 |
| Michael Ferris | Agricultural Panel | Labour | |
| Richard Hourigan | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Thomas Hussey | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Rory Kiely | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Joseph Lennon | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Charles McDonald | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Martin O'Toole | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Michael Quealy | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| William Ryan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Séamus de Brún | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Brian Fleming | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Joachim Loughrey | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Helena McAuliffe-Ennis | Cultural and Educational Panel | Labour | Joined the Progressive Democrats in 1986 |
| Michael Smith | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 25th Dáil at the general election on 17 February 1987 |
| Timmy Conway | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Joined the Progressive Democrats in 1986 |
| Jack Daly | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Seán Fallon | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Alexis FitzGerald | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Jack Fitzsimons | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Michael Howard | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Mick Lanigan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick J. Reynolds | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Eoin Ryan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Donie Cassidy | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Denis Cregan | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Des Hanafin | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Jack Harte | Labour Panel | Labour | |
| Jim Higgins | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to the 25th Dáil at the general election on 17 February 1987 |
| Brian Hillery | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Peter Kelleher | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Mark Killilea | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Larry McMahon | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Brian Mullooly | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Andy O'Brien | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| James Dooge | National University of Ireland | Fine Gael | Leader of the Seanad |
| Michael D. Higgins | National University of Ireland | Labour | Elected to the 25th Dáil at the general election on 17 February 1987 |
| Brendan Ryan | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| Catherine McGuinness | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Mary Robinson | Dublin University | Labour | |
| Shane Ross | Dublin University | Independent | |
| John Browne | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| John Connor | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| Jimmy Deenihan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | Elected to the 25th Dáil at the general election on 17 February 1987 |
| Patrick Durcan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| Brendan Howlin | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | Elected to the 25th Dáil at the general election on 17 February 1987 |
| Christy Kirwan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | |
| Pat Magner | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | |
| Stephen McGonagle | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Seán O'Leary | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| John Robb | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Bríd Rodgers | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Nuala Fennell | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | Nominated on 20 February 1987 to fill vacancy after the general election |
| Paddy O'Toole | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | Nominated on 20 February 1987 to fill vacancy after the general election |

## Changes

| Date | Panel | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 9 February 1983 | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Independent | Martin O'Donoghue resigns from parliamentary party after opposition to leader emerged from Irish phone tapping scandal |
| 18 November 1985 | Dublin University | Labour | Independent | Mary Robinson resigns in disagreement over Anglo-Irish Agreement |
| 4 January 1986 | Cultural and Educational Panel | Labour | Progressive Democrats | Helena McAuliffe-Ennis changes party |
| 17 April 1986 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Progressive Democrats | Timmy Conway changes party |
| January 1987 | Administrative Panel | Independent | Progressive Democrats | Martin O'Donoghue joins party |
| 17 February 1987 | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Michael Lynch elected to the 25th Dáil at the 1987 general election |
| 17 February 1987 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | | John Ellis elected to the 25th Dáil at the 1987 general election |
| 17 February 1987 | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Michael Smith elected to the 25th Dáil at the 1987 general election |
| 17 February 1987 | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | | Jim Higgins elected to the 25th Dáil at the 1987 general election |
| 17 February 1987 | National University | Labour | | Michael D. Higgins elected to the 25th Dáil at the 1987 general election |
| 17 February 1987 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | | Jimmy Deenihan elected to the 25th Dáil at the 1987 general election |
| 17 February 1987 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | | Brendan Howlin elected to the 25th Dáil at the 1987 general election |
| 20 February 1987 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | | Fine Gael | Nuala Fennell nominated to fill vacancy after the general election |
| 20 February 1987 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | | Fine Gael | Paddy O'Toole nominated to fill vacancy after the general election |