| Leader of the Seanad | |
|---|---|
 | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Oireachtas Éireann | |
| Member of | Seanad Éireann |
| Reports to | Cathaoirleach Leas-Chathaoirleach |
| Appointer | Taoiseach |
| Formation | 27 April 1938 |
| First holder | William Quirke |
| Salary | €108,183 annually[1](including €81,206 senator's salary) |
TheLeader of the Seanad (referred to within the Seanad asLeader of the HouseIrish:Treoraí an Tí) is a member ofSeanad Éireann appointed by theTaoiseach to directgovernment business.[2][3] Since February 2025, the incumbent isSeán Kyne ofFine Gael. The deputy leader of the Seanad isFiona O'Loughlin ofFianna Fáil.
The Leader plays a similar role in the Seanad's procedure to that played by the Taoiseach inDáil Éireann:[4]
In theSeanad of the Irish Free State, there was no separate position of Leader.[2] Theorder of business was controlled by theCathaoirleach (chair).[2] This was a symptom of the Seanad's independence from theExecutive Council (government), which annoyedÉamon de Valera asPresident of the Executive Council.[2] De Valera'sFianna Fáil government secured theabolition of the Seanad in 1936.[2]
De Valera's1937 Constitution created a new Seanad with less independence from the Dáil. The standing orders of the new Seanad provided for the role of Leader to control the flow of business from the government.[4][2] A 2004 Seanad report into reforming its own functions recommended that the Leader be allowed to attend cabinet meetings, with a rank of minister orminister of state.[2][5]Maurice Manning noted in 2010 that recent Leaders had more influence with the government, leading to increased input by the Seanad into legislation.[2]
| Name | Term of office | Party | Governments | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Quirke[6] | 1938 | 1948 | Fianna Fáil | 2nd,3rd,4th | ||
| Michael Hayes[6] | 1948 | 1951 | Fine Gael | 5th | ||
| William Quirke[6] | 1951 | 1954 | Fianna Fáil | 6th | ||
| Michael Hayes[6] | 1954 | 1957 | Fine Gael | 7th | ||
| Thomas Mullins | 1957 | 1973 | Fianna Fáil | 8th,9th,10th,11th,12th,13th | ||
| Michael J. O'Higgins | 1 June 1973 | 27 October 1977 | Fine Gael | 14th | ||
| Eoin Ryan Snr | 27 October 1977 | 8 October 1981 | Fianna Fáil | 15th,16th | ||
| Gemma Hussey | 8 October 1981 | February 1982 | Fine Gael | 17th | Vacated Leadership and Seanad seat uponelection to Dáil. | |
| Eoin Ryan Snr | 26 March 1982 | 21 December 1982 | Fianna Fáil | 18th | ||
| James Dooge | 21 December 1982 | 3 April 1987 | Fine Gael | 19th | ||
| Mick Lanigan | 3 April 1987 | 16 May 1990 | Fianna Fáil | 20th,21st | Resigned as Leader after Fianna Fáil lost a series of votes while all its senators were absent. | |
| Seán Fallon | 16 May 1990 | 23 January 1992 | Fianna Fáil | 21st | Vacated Leadership upon being elected Cathaoirleach to replaceSeán Doherty | |
| G. V. Wright | 23 January 1992 | 20 December 1994 | Fianna Fáil | 21st,22nd,23rd | The 21st government ended whenCharles Haughey resigned as Taoiseach, seven days after Doherty's resignation as Cathaoirleach over the same controversy. | |
| Maurice Manning | 20 December 1994 | 17 September 1997 | Fine Gael | 24th | ||
| Donie Cassidy | 17 September 1997 | May 2002 | Fianna Fáil | 25th | Vacated Leadership and Seanad seat uponelection to Dáil. | |
| Mary O'Rourke | 26 June 2002 | May 2007 | Fianna Fáil | 26th | Vacated Leadership and Seanad seat uponelection to Dáil. | |
| Donie Cassidy | 3 July 2007 | 25 May 2011 | Fianna Fáil | 27th,28th | ||
| Maurice Cummins | 25 May 2011 | 8 June 2016 | Fine Gael | 29th | ||
| Jerry Buttimer | 8 June 2016 | 27 June 2020 | Fine Gael | 30th,31st | ||
| Regina Doherty | 27 June 2020 | 17 December 2022 | Fine Gael | 32nd | ||
| Lisa Chambers | 17 December 2022 | 30 January 2025 | Fianna Fáil | 33rd,34th | ||
| Seán Kyne | 12 February 2025 | Incumbent | Fine Gael | 34th | ||
When the Seanad was reconstituted in 1938, he was elected a member on the Agricultural Panel and served either as Leader of the House or as Leader of the Opposition until his death. [...] For the greater part of that period, he was Leader of the House and I was Leader of the Opposition. We changed places twice
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