# 15th Seanad

The 15th Seanad was in office from 1981 to 1982. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1981 general election to the 22nd Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 16th Seanad.

## Cathaoirleach

On 8 October 1981, Charles McDonald (FG) was proposed as Cathaoirleach by Gemma Hussey (FG) and seconded by Michael Ferris (Lab). He was elected without a division.
On 9 October 1981, Séamus Dolan (FF) was proposed as Leas-Chathaoirleach by Eoin Ryan (FF) and seconded by William Ryan (FF). He was elected without a division.

## Composition of the 15th 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 15th Seanad first met on 8 October 1981.
| 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 |
| | Fianna Fáil | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |
| | Fine Gael | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 26 | |
| | Labour Party | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | |
| | Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
| 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 |
| Katharine Bulbulia | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Micheál Cranitch | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Tras Honan | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick Kennedy | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Jimmy Leonard | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Flor O'Mahony | Administrative Panel | Labour | |
| Myles Staunton | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Richard Bruton | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Pierce Butler | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Michael Ferris | Agricultural Panel | Labour | |
| Tom Fitzgerald | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Thomas Hussey | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Rory Kiely | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Mannion | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Charles McDonald | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Liam Naughten | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Martin O'Toole | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| William Ryan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patsy Lawlor | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Maurice Manning | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Timothy McAuliffe | Cultural and Educational Panel | Labour | |
| Mary O'Rourke | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Joe Walsh | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Deirdre Bolger | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Barry Cogan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán Fallon | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Alexis FitzGerald | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Michael Howard | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Mick Lanigan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Ruairi Quinn | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Patrick J. Reynolds | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Eoin Ryan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Blennerhassett | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Toddie Byrne | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Donal Carey | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| Séamus Dolan | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Des Hanafin | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Jack Harte | Labour Panel | Labour | |
| Brian Hillery | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Dan Kiely | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Brian Mullooly | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Andy O'Brien | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Maurice O'Connell | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Gemma Hussey | National University of Ireland | Fine Gael | Elected to 23rd Dáil at general election on 18 February 1982 |
| John A. Murphy | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| Brendan Ryan | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| Catherine McGuinness | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Mary Robinson | Dublin University | Labour | |
| Shane Ross | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Ulick Burke | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| John F. Carroll | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | |
| Timmy Conway | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | |
| James Dooge | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| Patrick Dunne | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | |
| Robert Fausset | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| Jim Higgins | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| Miriam Kearney | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| Pat Magner | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Labour | |
| Seán O'Leary | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fine Gael | |
| T. K. Whitaker | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |

## Changes

| Date | Panel | Loss | Note |
| 18 February 1982 | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Jimmy Leonard elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Richard Bruton elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Liam Naughten elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | Maurice Manning elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | Joe Walsh elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | Alexis FitzGerald elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Ruairi Quinn elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | Donal Carey elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | Séamus Dolan elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |
| 18 February 1982 | National University | Fine Gael | Gemma Hussey elected to 23rd Dáil at general election |