Ireland
Data on women
empty
Basic information > About parliament
Speaker
Speaker
Seán
Ó Fearghaíl
(Male)
Year of birth
1960
Additional information
Elected on 10 March 2016, re-elected on 20 Feb. 2020.
Secretary general
Secretary General
Peter
Finnegan
(Male)
Notes
Additional information about the Secretary General, in particular regarding their term.
Appointed on 13 Jan. 2016.
Members
Current number of members, by sex
Men
The number of male parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
Women
The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
Percentage of women
Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
Age
Average age of all members
Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
Youngest member (years)
Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
Youngest member
James O'Connor (Male)
Oldest member (years)
Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
75
Oldest member
Bernard Durkan (Male)
Total number of MPs, 45 years of age or younger
Total number of MPs, 46 years of age or older
Total per sex
Total of male
Total of female
Total per age interval
18-20
0
31-40
41-45
46-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
2
81-90
0
91 and over
0
Number of members, by age
| 18 - 20 | 21 - 30 | 31 - 40 | 41 - 45 | 46 - 50 | 51 - 60 | 61 - 70 | 71 - 80 | 81 - 90 | 91 and over | Totals per gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals per age interval | 0 | 6 | 24 | 36 | 29 | 41 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total <= 45: 66 | Total >= 46: 94 | ||||||||||
| Male | 0 | 3 | 18 | 30 | 20 | 33 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 124 |
| Female | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
Reserved seats and quotas
Electoral quota for women
Quotas to promote the representation of women in parliament.
Notes
Legislated candidate quotas. Part 6 of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act of 2012 provides that political parties will face a cut of half their State funding received under the Electoral Act 1997 if they do not have at least 30% women and 30% men candidates at the next general election (2016). Seven years from the general election where this provision first applies, the Act makes provision for this figure to rise to 40% in respect of each gender, commencing at the general election held next after that.
Elections > Historical data on women
Women's suffrage
Women’s right to vote
Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1918
National or local
Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Restricted
Detail of restrictions
Suffrage: Restrictions detail
Women over 30
Notes
Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
Voting age for men 21
Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1928
National or local
Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Universal
Women’s right to stand for election
Women's right to stand for election
Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1918
National or local
Stand for Election: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage
Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
Restricted
Detail of restrictions
Stand for Election: Restrictions detail
Women over 30
Women's right to stand for election
Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1928
National or local
Stand for Election: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage
Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
Universal
First woman in parliament
First woman in parliament
Year in which first woman entered parliament
1918
First woman speaker
Year of first woman speaker
Date at which, for the first time in the country's parliamentary history, a woman became Presiding Officer of Parliament or of one of its Houses.
1982
Specialized body - Women's caucus
Irish Women’s Parliamentary Caucus
(July 2017)
The caucus is open to male MPs
Yes
The caucus is cross-party
Yes
Notes
Every current and previous woman member of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann will be a member of the Women’s Caucus unless she opts out.
There are rules governing the functioning of the caucus
Yes
Activities
Issues dealt with by the caucus
The mission of the Women’s Caucus is to work purposefully, promoting and supporting women’s participation in politics, nationally and locally; to develop and advocate for legislation, policy and other initiatives that address issues affecting women and society. To advance the agreed agenda of the Caucus within political parties and other spheres of influence
The caucus has a strategic plan or plan of action
No
The caucus has a communication plan
No
Contact information for the Committee
Address
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2, D01 XR20
Phone
+353-016183507
E-mail