# 27th Seanad

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.

## 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

| 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 | 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 | Total | 7 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 60 | |
Government parties are denoted with bullets (●).

### Effect of changes

| | | Feb. 2025 | Feb. 2025 |
| | Fianna Fáil | 19 | 19 |
| | Fine Gael | 18 | 17 |
| | Sinn Féin | 6 | 6 |
| | Labour | 2 | 2 |
| | Green | 1 | 1 |
| | Social Democrats | 1 | 1 |
| | Aontú | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 12 | 13 |
| Total | Total | 60 | 60 |
* ↑ Composition after the 2025 Seanad election and the completion of nominations by the taoiseach.
* ↑ Composition after the resignation of Martin Conway from Fine Gael.

## List of senators

^ +: New senator. ^ #: Member of the 33rd Dáil who was not re-elected at the 2024 general election.
| Panel | Name | Portrait | Party affiliation (Technical group) | Party affiliation (Technical group) | Party affiliation (Technical group) | Party affiliation (Technical group) | Assumed office |
| Panel | Name | Portrait | Start of Seanad term | Start of Seanad term | Current | Current | | Assumed office |
| Administrative Panel | Garret Ahearn | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 29 June 2020 |
| Administrative Panel | Martin Conway | | | Fine Gael | | Independent Resigned from Fine Gael in Feb. 2025 | 25 May 2011 |
| Administrative Panel | Mark Daly | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 13 September 2007 |
| Administrative Panel | Eileen Flynn | | | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | 29 June 2020 |
| Administrative Panel | Fiona O'Loughlin | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 29 June 2020 |
| Administrative Panel | Nicole Ryan | | | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | 30 January 2025 |
| Administrative Panel | Diarmuid Wilson | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 12 September 2002 |
| Agricultural Panel | Niall Blaney | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 29 June 2020 |
| Agricultural Panel | Paraic Brady | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Agricultural Panel | Victor Boyhan | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 8 June 2016 |
| Agricultural Panel | Maria Byrne | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 21 April 2021 |
| Agricultural Panel | Joanne Collins | | | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | 30 January 2025 |
| Agricultural Panel | Teresa Costello | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 30 January 2025 |
| Agricultural Panel | Paul Daly | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 8 June 2016 |
| Agricultural Panel | Eileen Lynch | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Agricultural Panel | P. J. Murphy | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Agricultural Panel | Malcolm Noonan | | | Green Party | Green Party | Green Party | 30 January 2025 |
| Agricultural Panel | Sarah O'Reilly | | | Aontú | Aontú | Aontú | 30 January 2025 |
| Cultural and Educational Panel | Cathal Byrne | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Cultural and Educational Panel | Joe Conway | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 30 January 2025 |
| Cultural and Educational Panel | Shane Curley | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 30 January 2025 |
| Cultural and Educational Panel | Seán Kyne | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 20 February 2020 |
| Cultural and Educational Panel | Pauline Tully | | | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | 30 January 2025 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Frances Black | | | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | 8 June 2016 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Ollie Crowe | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 29 June 2020 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Aidan Davitt | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 8 June 2016 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Mary Fitzpatrick | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 29 June 2020 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Laura Harmon | | | Labour | Labour | Labour | 30 January 2025 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Garret Kelleher | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Sharon Keogan | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 29 June 2020 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Conor Murphy | | | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | 30 January 2025 |
| Industrial and Commercial Panel | Linda Nelson Murray | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Labour Panel | Chris Andrews | | | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | 30 January 2025 |
| Labour Panel | Pat Casey | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 29 June 2020 |
| Labour Panel | Nessa Cosgrove | | | Labour | Labour | Labour | 30 January 2025 |
| Labour Panel | Gerard Craughwell | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 14 October 2014 |
| Labour Panel | Mark Duffy | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Labour Panel | Robbie Gallagher | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 8 June 2016 |
| Labour Panel | Mike Kennelly | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 30 January 2025 |
| Labour Panel | Maria McCormack | | | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | 30 January 2025 |
| Labour Panel | Margaret Murphy O'Mahony | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 30 January 2025 |
| Labour Panel | Joe O'Reilly | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 8 June 2016 |
| Labour Panel | Patricia Stephenson | | | Social Democrats | Social Democrats | Social Democrats | 30 January 2025 |
| National University of Ireland | Alice-Mary Higgins | | | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | 8 June 2016 |
| National University of Ireland | Michael McDowell | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 8 June 2016 |
| National University of Ireland | Rónán Mullen | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 13 September 2007 |
| Dublin University | Tom Clonan | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 5 April 2022 |
| Dublin University | Aubrey McCarthy | | | Independent | Independent | Independent | 30 January 2025 |
| Dublin University | Lynn Ruane | | | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | Independent (Civil Engagement Group) | 8 June 2016 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Manus Boyle | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 7 February 2025 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Nikki Bradley | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 10 July 2024 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Lorraine Clifford-Lee | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 8 June 2016 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Alison Comyn | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 7 February 2025 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Evanne Ní Chuilinn | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 7 February 2025 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Joe Flaherty | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 10 December 2024 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Imelda Goldsboro | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 7 February 2025 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Noel O'Donovan | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 7 February 2025 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Anne Rabbitte | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 10 December 2024 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Dee Ryan | | | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | Fianna Fáil | 7 February 2025 |
| Taoiseach's nominees | Gareth Scahill | | | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | Fine Gael | 7 February 2025 |

## Changes

| Date | Panel | Loss | Loss | Gain | Gain | Note |
| 9 February 2025 | Administrative Panel | | Fine Gael | | Independent | Martin Conway resigned from the Fine Gael parliamentary party |