# 32nd Dáil

The 32nd Dáil was elected at the 2016 general election on 26 February and first met at 10.30 a.m. on 10 March 2016. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland, are known as TDs. It sat with the 25th Seanad as the two Houses of the Oireachtas.
The 32nd Dáil was dissolved by President Michael D. Higgins on 14 January 2020, at the request of the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. The 32nd Dáil lasted 3 years, 310 days.

## Composition of the 32nd Dáil

| Party | Party | Feb. 2016 | Jan. 2020 | Change |
| ● | Fine Gael | 50 | 47 | 3 |
| C | Fianna Fáil | 44 | 45 | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | 23 | 22 | 1 |
| | Labour | 7 | 7 | |
| | Solidarity–PBP | 6 | 6 | |
| | Independents 4 Change | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| | Social Democrats | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| | Green | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| | Aontú | — | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 19 | 22 | 3 |
| | Ceann Comhairle | — | 1 | 1 |
| | Vacant | — | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 158 | 158 | |
Government party denoted with bullet (●) Party giving confidence and supply denoted by C.

### Notes

* ↑ Known as Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit until March 2017.
* ↑ Includes 7 TDs in the Rural Technical Group, 3 of 7 TDs in the Independents for Change Technical Group and 6 members of the Independent Alliance, as well as Seamus Healy, Denis Naughten and Katherine Zappone.

## Ceann Comhairle

* Ceann Comhairle: Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Fianna Fáil)
* Leas-Cheann Comhairle: Pat "the Cope" Gallagher (Fianna Fáil)
The first act of the 32nd Dáil was the election of the Ceann Comhairle. This was the first time the Ceann Comhairle was elected by secret ballot.
On 2 June 2016, Seán Crowe, Mattie McGrath, Pat "the Cope" Gallagher and Bernard Durkan were nominated for the position of Leas-Cheann Comhairle. No candidate was elected by resolution. On 6 July, the Dáil proceeded to an election by secret ballot using the single transferable vote. On 7 July, Gallagher was declared elected and approved by resolution.

## Political leadership
### Government

* Taoiseach
** Enda Kenny (6 May 2016 – 14 June 2017)
** Leo Varadkar (14 June 2017 – 14 January 2020)
* Tánaiste
** Frances Fitzgerald (6 May 2016 – 28 November 2017)
** Simon Coveney (30 November 2017 – 14 January 2020)

### Opposition

* Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Fianna Fáil: Micheál Martin
** Fianna Fáil Chief whip: Michael Moynihan
* Leader of Sinn Féin: Gerry Adams (2016–2018), Mary Lou McDonald (2018–2020)
** Sinn Féin Chief Whip: Aengus Ó Snodaigh
* Leader of the Labour Party: Brendan Howlin
* Leader of the Green Party: Eamon Ryan
* Leader of the Social Democrats: Catherine Murphy & Róisín Shortall

## Oireachtas Committees

| Committee | Position | Name | Party |
| Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Chair | Pat Deering | Fine Gael |
| Budgetary Oversight | Chair | John Paul Phelan | Fine Gael |
| Children and Youth Affairs | Chair | Alan Farrell | Fine Gael |
| Communications, Climate Action and the Environment | Chair | Hildegarde Naughton | Fine Gael |
| Education and Social Protection | Chair | Fiona O'Loughlin | Fianna Fáil |
| European Union Affairs | Chair | Michael Healy-Rae | Independent |
| European Union Affairs | Vice Chair | Terry Leyden | Fianna Fáil |
| Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach | Chair | John McGuinness | Fianna Fáil |
| Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defense | Chair | Brendan Smith | Fianna Fáil |
| Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defense | Vice Chair | Maureen O'Sullivan | Independent |
| Future of Healthcare | Chair | Róisín Shortall | Social Democrats |
| Health | Chair | Michael Harty | Independent |
| Housing, Planning and Local Government | Chair | Noel Rock | Fine Gael |
| Housing and Homelessness | Chair | John Curran | Fianna Fáil |
| Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement | Chair | Kathleen Funchion | Sinn Féin |
| Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands | Chair | Catherine Connolly | Independent |
| Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Chair | Mary Butler | Fianna Fáil |
| Justice and Equality | Chair | Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin | Sinn Féin |
| Members' Interests of Dáil Éireann | Chair | Maria Bailey | Fine Gael |
| Petitions | Chair | Seán Sherlock | Labour Party |
| Procedure and Privileges (Dáil) | Chair | Seán Ó Fearghaíl | Ceann Comhairle |
| – Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform | Chair | Seán Ó Fearghaíl | Ceann Comhairle |
| Public Accounts Committee | Chair | Seán Fleming | Fianna Fáil |
| Public Accounts Committee | Vice Chair | Alan Kelly | Labour Party |
| Rural Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht | Chair | Peadar Tóibín | Sinn Féin |
| Social Protection | Chair | John Curran | Fianna Fáil |
| Transport, Tourism and Sport | Chair | Brendan Griffin | Fine Gael |

## List of TDs

^ +: Elected for the first time at the 2016 general election. ^ ‡: Previously served as member of the Dáil non-consecutively to the current consecutive terms of office. ^ #: Member of the 24th Seanad at time of election. ^ §: Returned automatically without standing for election as outgoing Ceann Comhairle, in accordance with Article 16.6 of the Constitution of Ireland.
This is a list of TDs elected to Dáil Éireann in the 2016 general election. The Changes table below records changes in membership and party affiliation.
| Party | Name | Constituency |
| Fine Gael (50) | Maria Bailey | Dún Laoghaire |
| Fine Gael (50) | Seán Barrett | Dún Laoghaire |
| Fine Gael (50) | Pat Breen | Clare |
| Fine Gael (50) | Colm Brophy | Dublin South-West |
| Fine Gael (50) | Richard Bruton | Dublin Bay North |
| Fine Gael (50) | Peter Burke | Longford–Westmeath |
| Fine Gael (50) | Catherine Byrne | Dublin South-Central |
| Fine Gael (50) | Ciarán Cannon | Galway East |
| Fine Gael (50) | Joe Carey | Clare |
| Fine Gael (50) | Marcella Corcoran Kennedy | Offaly |
| Fine Gael (50) | Simon Coveney | Cork South-Central |
| Fine Gael (50) | Michael Creed | Cork North-West |
| Fine Gael (50) | Jim Daly | Cork South-West |
| Fine Gael (50) | Michael W. D'Arcy | Wexford |
| Fine Gael (50) | John Deasy | Waterford |
| Fine Gael (50) | Pat Deering | Carlow–Kilkenny |
| Fine Gael (50) | Regina Doherty | Meath East |
| Fine Gael (50) | Paschal Donohoe | Dublin Central |
| Fine Gael (50) | Andrew Doyle | Wicklow |
| Fine Gael (50) | Bernard Durkan | Kildare North |
| Fine Gael (50) | Damien English | Meath West |
| Fine Gael (50) | Alan Farrell | Dublin Fingal |
| Fine Gael (50) | Frances Fitzgerald | Dublin Mid-West |
| Fine Gael (50) | Peter Fitzpatrick | Louth |
| Fine Gael (50) | Charles Flanagan | Laois |
| Fine Gael (50) | Brendan Griffin | Kerry |
| Fine Gael (50) | Simon Harris | Wicklow |
| Fine Gael (50) | Martin Heydon | Kildare South |
| Fine Gael (50) | Heather Humphreys | Cavan–Monaghan |
| Fine Gael (50) | Paul Kehoe | Wexford |
| Fine Gael (50) | Enda Kenny | Mayo |
| Fine Gael (50) | Seán Kyne | Galway West |
| Fine Gael (50) | Josepha Madigan | Dublin Rathdown |
| Fine Gael (50) | Helen McEntee | Meath East |
| Fine Gael (50) | Joe McHugh | Donegal |
| Fine Gael (50) | Tony McLoughlin | Sligo–Leitrim |
| Fine Gael (50) | Mary Mitchell O'Connor | Dún Laoghaire |
| Fine Gael (50) | Dara Murphy | Cork North-Central |
| Fine Gael (50) | Eoghan Murphy | Dublin Bay South |
| Fine Gael (50) | Hildegarde Naughton | Galway West |
| Fine Gael (50) | Tom Neville | Limerick County |
| Fine Gael (50) | Michael Noonan | Limerick City |
| Fine Gael (50) | Kate O'Connell | Dublin Bay South |
| Fine Gael (50) | Patrick O'Donovan | Limerick County |
| Fine Gael (50) | Fergus O'Dowd | Louth |
| Fine Gael (50) | John Paul Phelan | Carlow–Kilkenny |
| Fine Gael (50) | Michael Ring | Mayo |
| Fine Gael (50) | Noel Rock | Dublin North-West |
| Fine Gael (50) | David Stanton | Cork East |
| Fine Gael (50) | Leo Varadkar | Dublin West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Bobby Aylward | Carlow–Kilkenny |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | John Brassil | Kerry |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Declan Breathnach | Louth |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | James Browne | Wexford |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Mary Butler | Waterford |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Thomas Byrne | Meath East |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Jackie Cahill | Tipperary |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Dara Calleary | Mayo |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Pat Casey | Wicklow |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Shane Cassells | Meath West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Jack Chambers | Dublin West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Lisa Chambers | Mayo |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Niall Collins | Limerick County |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Barry Cowen | Offaly |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | John Curran | Dublin Mid-West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Timmy Dooley | Clare |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Seán Fleming | Laois |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Pat "the Cope" Gallagher | Donegal |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Seán Haughey | Dublin Bay North |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Billy Kelleher | Cork North-Central |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | John Lahart | Dublin South-West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | James Lawless | Kildare North |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Marc MacSharry | Sligo–Leitrim |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Micheál Martin | Cork South-Central |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Charlie McConalogue | Donegal |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Michael McGrath | Cork South-Central |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | John McGuinness | Carlow–Kilkenny |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Aindrias Moynihan | Cork North-West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Michael Moynihan | Cork North-West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Eugene Murphy | Roscommon–Galway |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Margaret Murphy O'Mahony | Cork South-West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Darragh O'Brien | Dublin Fingal |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Jim O'Callaghan | Dublin Bay South |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Éamon Ó Cuív | Galway West |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Willie O'Dea | Limerick City |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Seán Ó Fearghaíl | Kildare South |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Kevin O'Keeffe | Cork East |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Fiona O'Loughlin | Kildare South |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Frank O'Rourke | Kildare North |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Anne Rabbitte | Galway East |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Eamon Scanlon | Sligo–Leitrim |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Brendan Smith | Cavan–Monaghan |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Niamh Smyth | Cavan–Monaghan |
| Fianna Fáil (44) | Robert Troy | Longford–Westmeath |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Gerry Adams | Louth |
| Sinn Féin (23) | John Brady | Wicklow |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Pat Buckley | Cork East |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Seán Crowe | Dublin South-West |
| Sinn Féin (23) | David Cullinane | Waterford |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Pearse Doherty | Donegal |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Dessie Ellis | Dublin North-West |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Martin Ferris | Kerry |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Kathleen Funchion | Carlow–Kilkenny |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Martin Kenny | Sligo–Leitrim |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Mary Lou McDonald | Dublin Central |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Denise Mitchell | Dublin Bay North |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Imelda Munster | Louth |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Carol Nolan | Offaly |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin | Cavan–Monaghan |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Jonathan O'Brien | Cork North-Central |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Eoin Ó Broin | Dublin Mid-West |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire | Cork South-Central |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Louise O'Reilly | Dublin Fingal |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Aengus Ó Snodaigh | Dublin South-Central |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Maurice Quinlivan | Limerick City |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Brian Stanley | Laois |
| Sinn Féin (23) | Peadar Tóibín | Meath West |
| Labour Party (7) | Joan Burton | Dublin West |
| Labour Party (7) | Brendan Howlin | Wexford |
| Labour Party (7) | Alan Kelly | Tipperary |
| Labour Party (7) | Jan O'Sullivan | Limerick City |
| Labour Party (7) | Willie Penrose | Longford–Westmeath |
| Labour Party (7) | Brendan Ryan | Dublin Fingal |
| Labour Party (7) | Seán Sherlock | Cork East |
| AAA–PBP (6) | Richard Boyd Barrett | Dún Laoghaire |
| AAA–PBP (6) | Mick Barry | Cork North-Central |
| AAA–PBP (6) | Ruth Coppinger | Dublin West |
| AAA–PBP (6) | Gino Kenny | Dublin Mid-West |
| AAA–PBP (6) | Paul Murphy | Dublin South-West |
| AAA–PBP (6) | Bríd Smith | Dublin South-Central |
| Independents 4 Change (4) | Tommy Broughan | Dublin Bay North |
| Independents 4 Change (4) | Joan Collins | Dublin South-Central |
| Independents 4 Change (4) | Clare Daly | Dublin Fingal |
| Independents 4 Change (4) | Mick Wallace | Wexford |
| Social Democrats (3) | Stephen Donnelly | Wicklow |
| Social Democrats (3) | Catherine Murphy | Kildare North |
| Social Democrats (3) | Róisín Shortall | Dublin North-West |
| Green Party (2) | Catherine Martin | Dublin Rathdown |
| Green Party (2) | Eamon Ryan | Dublin Bay South |
| Independent (19) | Seán Canney | Galway East |
| Independent (19) | Séamus Healy | Tipperary |
| Independent (19) | Michael Collins | Cork South-West |
| Independent (19) | Catherine Connolly | Galway West |
| Independent (19) | Michael Fitzmaurice | Roscommon–Galway |
| Independent (19) | Noel Grealish | Galway West |
| Independent (19) | John Halligan | Waterford |
| Independent (19) | Danny Healy-Rae | Kerry |
| Independent (19) | Michael Healy-Rae | Kerry |
| Independent (19) | Michael Harty | Clare |
| Independent (19) | Michael Lowry | Tipperary |
| Independent (19) | Finian McGrath | Dublin Bay North |
| Independent (19) | Mattie McGrath | Tipperary |
| Independent (19) | Kevin "Boxer" Moran | Longford–Westmeath |
| Independent (19) | Denis Naughten | Roscommon–Galway |
| Independent (19) | Maureen O'Sullivan | Dublin Central |
| Independent (19) | Thomas Pringle | Donegal |
| Independent (19) | Shane Ross | Dublin Rathdown |
| Independent (19) | Katherine Zappone | Dublin South-West |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Campaigned under the banner of the Independent Alliance, but appeared as a normal Independent on the ballot paper.

## Technical groups

In the wake of the 2016 general election, which saw a significant increase in the number of TDs elected as independents or from small parties in the 32nd Dáil, the Dáil standing orders were extensively revised to reduce the minimum number for the formation of a technical group from seven TDs to five, and to allow multiple technical groups to exist in parallel. In January 2018, there were three groups; Independents 4 Change Group (7), Social Democrats–Green Party Group (5) and the Rural Independents Group (7).

### Independents 4 Change Group

| Party | Name | Constituency |
| Independents 4 Change (3) | Joan Collins | Dublin South-Central |
| Independents 4 Change (3) | Clare Daly | Dublin Fingal |
| Independents 4 Change (3) | Mick Wallace | Wexford |
| Independent (4) |
| Independent (4) | Tommy Broughan | Dublin Bay North |
| Independent (4) | Catherine Connolly | Galway West |
| Independent (4) | Maureen O'Sullivan | Dublin Central |
| Independent (4) | Thomas Pringle | Donegal |

### Social Democrats–Green Party Group

| Party | Name | Constituency |
| Social Democrats (2) | Catherine Murphy | Kildare North |
| Social Democrats (2) | Róisín Shortall | Dublin North-West |
| Green Party (2) | Catherine Martin | Dublin Rathdown |
| Green Party (2) | Eamon Ryan | Dublin Bay South |
| Independent (1) | Séamus Healy | Tipperary |

### Rural Independents Group

| Party | Name | Constituency |
| Independent (7) | Michael Collins | Cork South-West |
| Independent (7) | Noel Grealish | Galway West |
| Independent (7) | Danny Healy-Rae | Kerry |
| Independent (7) | Michael Healy-Rae | Kerry |
| Independent (7) | Michael Harty | Clare |
| Independent (7) | Michael Lowry | Tipperary |
| Independent (7) | Mattie McGrath | Tipperary |

## Firsts

For the first time, two siblings were elected to Dáil Éireann from the same constituency: Michael and Danny Healy-Rae for Kerry.
Having become the first openly lesbian member of the Oireachtas and the first member in a recognised same-sex relationship with her Seanad nomination in 2011, Katherine Zappone also became the first openly lesbian Teachta Dála (TD) after being elected to the Dáil in 2016, and later the first openly lesbian member of government.
Independents 4 Change, the Social Democrats and Aontú had their first TDs.
On 14 June 2017 Leo Varadkar became the first openly gay Taoiseach.
Malcolm Byrne became the first openly gay man to win a by-election, and the first openly gay Fianna Fáil TD.

## Changes

| Date | Constituency | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 10 March 2016 | Kildare South | Fianna Fáil | Ceann Comhairle | Seán Ó Fearghaíl is elected as Ceann Comhairle |
| 26 July 2016 | Dublin Bay North | Inds. 4 Change | Independent | Tommy Broughan leaves Independents 4 Change |
| 5 September 2016 | Wicklow | Social Democrats | Independent | Stephen Donnelly leaves the Social Democrats |
| 2 February 2017 | Wicklow | Independent | Fianna Fáil | Stephen Donnelly joins Fianna Fáil |
| 22 March 2018 | Offaly | Sinn Féin | Independent | Carol Nolan was suspended from Sinn Féin for voting against legislation to allow for a referendum on repealing the Eighth Amendment She resigned from Sinn Féin in June 2018. |
| 2 October 2018 | Louth | Fine Gael | Independent | Peter Fitzpatrick resigns from Fine Gael |
| 15 November 2018 | Meath West | Sinn Féin | Independent | Peadar Tóibín resigns from Sinn Féin |
| 28 January 2019 | Meath West | Independent | Aontú | Peadar Tóibín founds a new political party called Aontú |
| 1 July 2019 | Dublin Fingal | Inds. 4 Change | | Resignation of Clare Daly after her election to the European Parliament |
| 1 July 2019 | Dublin Mid-West | Fine Gael | | Resignation of Frances Fitzgerald after her election to the European Parliament |
| 1 July 2019 | Cork North-Central | Fianna Fáil | | Resignation of Billy Kelleher after his election to the European Parliament |
| 1 July 2019 | Wexford | Inds. 4 Change | | Resignation of Mick Wallace after his election to the European Parliament |
| 30 November 2019 | Dublin Mid-West | | Sinn Féin | Mark Ward wins the Dublin Mid-West by-election, taking the seat vacated by the resignation of Frances Fitzgerald |
| 30 November 2019 | Cork North-Central | | Fianna Fáil | Pádraig O'Sullivan wins the Cork North-Central by-election, taking the seat vacated by the resignation of Billy Kelleher |
| 30 November 2019 | Wexford | | Fianna Fáil | Malcolm Byrne wins the Wexford by-election, taking the seat vacated by the resignation of Mick Wallace |
| 30 November 2019 | Dublin Fingal | | Green | Joe O'Brien wins the Dublin Fingal by-election, taking the seat vacated by the resignation of Clare Daly |
| 3 December 2019 | Cork North-Central | Fine Gael | | Resignation of Dara Murphy |