Ireland
House of Representatives
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
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Parliamentary system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Bicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
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Yes
Election results
Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.
Background
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Election date(s)
The date when elections started and ended for directly or indirectly elected parliaments/chambers. The date of appointments for appointed parliaments/chambers.
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26 Feb 2016
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Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
Date at which the previous legislature (elected at the previous elections) was dissolved.
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03 Feb 2016
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Timing of election
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry; Early elections; Delayed elections
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Upon normal expiry
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Number of seats at stake
Number of seats contested at the elections. Where the parliament/chamber is fully renewed, this number is usually identical to the statutory number of members. Where the parliament/chamber is partially renewed or appointed, the number of seats at stake is usually less than the total number of members.
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158
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Scope of elections
Scope of elections: Full renewal; Partial renewal.
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Full renewal
Candidates
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Number of parties contesting the election
This field may include either the number of parties contesting the election, or the number of coalitions/electoral alliance.
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23
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Total number of candidates
Total number of people who registered as candidates for election. Does not include people who stood as candidates to become "substitute members".
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552
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Number of male candidates
Number of male candidates
View field in the data dictionary -
389
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Number of female candidates
Number of female candidates
View field in the data dictionary -
163
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Percentage of women candidates
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
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29.5%
Voter turnout
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Registered voters
Number of people registered to vote
View field in the data dictionary -
3,305,110
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Voters
Number of people who actually voted
View field in the data dictionary -
2,151,293
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Voter turnout
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of people who actually voted by the number of people registered to vote
View field in the data dictionary -
65.1%
Results
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About the election
Short description of the context and results of the election.
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The 2016 elections resulted in a hung parliament. The parties in Prime Minister Enda Kenny’s outgoing coalition, Fine Gael and the Labour Party, saw their share of seats sharply reduced to 57 of the 158-member House of Representatives. The opposition Fianna Faíl, led by Mr. Micheál Martin, more than doubled its seats to 44, becoming the second largest force.
By 14 April 2016, the House of Representatives had failed to elect a new Prime Minister three times. On 3 May, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil singed a Confidence and Supply Arrangement, paving the way for a Fine Gael-led minority government to be formed. On 6 May, the House of Representatives re-elected Mr. Kenny as Prime Minister. He thereby became the first Fine Gael leader to be elected for two consecutive terms. He was then sworn in by President Michael Higgins.
The election campaign focused on economic issues. Ireland has had the fastest growing economy in the eurozone since 2014. In 2013, it became the first country in the eurozone to exit an international bailout programme following the 2008 economic crisis. The ruling coalition called on voters' support to continue the economic recovery. Opposition parties criticized the government, arguing that the economic recovery was yet to be felt by many citizens.
The statutory number of members in the House was reduced from 166 to 158, based on the Constituency Committee Report 2012. The number of women increased from 25 out of 166 (15.06%) in 2011 to 35 out of 158 (22.15%) in 2016. That is a record high in Ireland and followed the adoption of a gender quota for general elections in 2012. The quota stipulates that political parties must ensure that at least 30% of their candidates are women and 30% are men. This ratio will increase to 40% from 2023. Failure to respect the quota would see parties' State funding cut by half.
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Number of parties winning seats
The number of parties which won parliamentary representation in the given election.
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8
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Percentage of parties winning seats
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of parties which won parliamentary representation by the number of parties contesting the election.
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34.8%
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Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of seats won by the largest party by the number of seats at stake in the election.
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31.6%
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Alternation of power after elections
The results of the elections caused a change in the government. "Not applicable" to countries using the presidential system when parliamentary and presidential elections are held separately, to countries in political transition or where there is no party system.
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No
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Number of parties in government
The government may be formed by one or more political parties
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1
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Names of parties in government
The government may be formed by one or more political parties
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Fine Gael
Parties or coalitions winning seats
| Political group | Total |
|---|---|
| Fine Gael | 50 |
| Fianna Fáil | 44 |
| Sinn Féin | 23 |
| Labour Party | 7 |
| Anti-Austerity Alliance - People Before Profit (AAA-PBP) | 6 |
| Independents 4 Change (I.4.C) | 4 |
| Social Democratic Party | 3 |
| Green Party | 2 |
| Independents | 19 |
Members elected, by sex
- Number of men elected
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123
- Number of women elected
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35
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Percentage of women elected
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected by the number of seats filled.
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22.2%
- Women Directly Elected
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35
- Other notes on the elections
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Number of candidates: 552, Including the outgoing Speaker, Mr. Seán Barrett, who was re-elected unopposed.
The distribution of seats indicated above includes outgoing Speaker Mr. Seán Barrett (Fine Gael) who was re-elected unopposed.
- Sources
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House of Representatives (08.03.2016, 04.05.2016)
32nd Dáil General Election February 2016 - Results
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (28.04.2016)
The Irish times
ITV News
New legislature
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Total number of men after the election
The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
View field in the data dictionary -
123
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Total number of women after the election
The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
View field in the data dictionary -
35
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Percentage of women after the election
The percentage is calculated by dividing the total number of women in this parliament/chamber by the current number of members.
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22.2%
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First-term parliamentarians
The number of members who are assuming their parliamentary mandate for the first time following the election or renewal, regardless of their mode of designation.
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52
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Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of first-term parliamentarians by the number of seats at stake in the election.
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32.9%
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Date of the first session
The date when the newly elected parliament/chamber was convened for the first time. It may be different from the date when members were sworn in.
View field in the data dictionary -
10 Mar 2016
First Speaker of the new legislature
- Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
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Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Male)
Date of birth: 17 Apr 1960 -
Political party
The political party to which the Speaker belonged to at the moment of the election. In some parliaments, the Speaker suspends or relinquishes their party membership during their term in office and is considered as an independent member.
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Fianna Fáil
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Date of election
The date of the election of the Speaker may be different from the date of the first session of the new legislature.
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10 Mar 2016