Records of members of the Oireachtas

Updated on Dec 11, 2024

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This is a list of records relating to the Oireachtas (National Parliament of Ireland). The First Dáil Éireann consisted of the Sinn Féin MPs who were elected in the United Kingdom general election of 14 December 1918. They refused to attend the British House of Commons and instead assembled for the first time on 21 January 1919 in the Mansion House in Dublin as the revolutionary unicameral Dáil Éireann.

1118 Teachtaí Dála (TDs) served in the Dáil between 1919 and 2003. The title Father of the Dáil is usually and unofficially conferred on the longest-serving member.

Longest-serving former TDs

This is a list of former TDs who have served at least 30 years in the Dáil. Unless otherwise specified, start and end dates given are those of the relevant general election. It can be assumed unless stated otherwise that the member did not stand in the end-date election, as opposed to standing and failing to be elected.

Shortest-serving former TDs

This is a list of former TDs who served for less than 1 year in the Dáil. Unless otherwise specified, start and end dates given are those of the relevant general election.

The following were eligible for membership of the Dáil, but as Unionists, they did not recognise it. Those elected to Westminster in 1918 were eligible for the First Dáil.

Current office-holders, longest service in the Oireachtas

This is a list of current members of the Oireachtas who have served for at least 20 years, with continuous or broken service. Unless otherwise specified, start dates given are those of the relevant election.

Longest-serving Senators

This is a list of current and former Senators who have served for at least 20 years in the Seanad, including both the Free State Seanad and the Seanad established under the 1937 Constitution. There was a 22-month gap between the abolition of the Free State Seanad in 1936 and the inauguration in 1938 of the 2nd Seanad, the first incarnation of the new body.

^†Serving senator

Oldest living former office-holders

Aged 85 or older:

Oldest ever office-holders

Office holders aged 75 or older:

Longest lived former office-holders

Aged 90 or more at time of death:

Shortest lived office-holders

Aged 40 or younger at time of death:

Oldest person currently in office

Politicians born before 1945:

Youngest person currently in office

Politicians born since 1977:

Members of both the British Parliament and of the Oireachtas

This list excludes abstentionist MPs, such as the members of the 1st Dáil.

Women

First female TD – Constance Markievicz, elected to the First Dáil in 1918

First female minister – Constance Markievicz who served as Minister for Labour in the First Dáil from 1919–22

First female Senators – Eileen Costello, Ellen Cuffe, Alice Stopford Green and Jennie Wyse Power, elected or nominated in 1922

First female Minister of State – Máire Geoghegan-Quinn became Minister of State for Industry and Energy in 1977

First female cabinet minister since independence – Máire Geoghegan-Quinn became Minister for the Gaeltacht in 1979

First female President of Ireland – Mary Robinson, who was elected in 1990 and served until 1997

First female Tánaiste – Mary Harney, appointed in 1997

Religion

First Jewish Senator – Ellen Cuffe, appointed to the Irish Free State Seanad Éireann as an independent member (1922–31)

First Jewish TD – Robert Briscoe, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South (1932–48) and Dublin South-West (1948–61)

First openly atheist TD – Jim Kemmy, Labour Party/Democratic Socialist Party TD for Limerick East 1981–82 and 1987–97

First Muslim TD – Moosajee Bhamjee, Labour Party TD for Clare from 1992–97

First Quaker Senator – James G. Douglas, independent Senator from 1922–36 and 1938–57

LGBT people

First male Senator to publicly identify as gay – David Norris, independent Senator for University of Dublin since 1987.

First TDs to publicly identify as gay – John Lyons (Labour Party TD) and Dominic Hannigan (Labour Party TD), both elected in 2011.

First Senator to publicly identify as lesbian – Katherine Zappone, independent Senator from 2011–16.

First member of the Oireachtas to be in a recognised same-sex relationship – Katherine Zappone, who married Ann Louise Gilligan in British Columbia, Canada in 2003.

First serving member of the Oireachtas to come out – Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael TD), first elected in 2007, came out in 2012.

First serving Cabinet Minister to come out – Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael TD), first elected in 2007, became a Minister in 2011, came out in 2015. Pat Carey (Fianna Fáil) was elected in 1997, and served as a minister from 2010–11 but did not come out until 2015, after his retirement.

First TD to publicly identify as lesbian – Katherine Zappone, independent TD since February 2016.

First serving Cabinet Minister to publicly identify as lesbian — Katherine Zappone, independent Minister since May 2016.

Party leaders

Party leaders serving 10 years or more are:

References

Records of members of the Oireachtas Wikipedia

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