26th Seanad

26th Seanad
← 25th Seanad 27th Seanad →
Overview
Legislative body	Seanad Éireann
Jurisdiction	Ireland
Meeting place	Leinster House
Election	30–31 March 2020
Government	32nd government of Ireland (2020–2022) 33rd government of Ireland (2022–2024) 34th government of Ireland (2024)
Members	60
Cathaoirleach	Vacant
Leas-Chathaoirleach	Mark Daly (FF)
Leader of the Seanad	Lisa Chambers (FF)
Deputy leader of the Seanad	Seán Kyne (FG)
Leader of the Opposition	Rebecca Moynihan (Lab)
Sessions
1st 29 June 2020 – 31 July 2020 2nd 16 September 2020 – 16 July 2021 3rd 21 September 2021 – 14 July 2022 4th 14 September 2022 – 13 July 2023 5th 26 September 2023 – 17 July 2024 6th 24 September 2024 –

The 26th Seanad has been in office since June 2020. The 2020 Seanad election followed the 2020 general election to the 33rd Dáil on 8 February. The Constitution of Ireland required a general election for Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), to take place no later than ninety days after the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil on 14 January 2020. There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels by serving politicians, for which polling closed on 30 March 2020; 6 were elected in two university constituencies, for which polling closed on 31 March 2020; and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach (Micheál Martin) on 27 June 2020. It will remain in office until the close of poll for the 27th Seanad, which is scheduled for 30 January 2025.

Of the 60 members, twenty-four (40%) are women, and thirty (50%) are first-time senators. Five senators (8%) are members of the LGBT+ community.^[1] 33 members (55%) of the 26th Seanad were unsuccessful candidates at the 2020 general election, 10 of those (17%) being outgoing TDs who failed to get re-elected. In total 41 members (68%) of the 26th Seanad had contested general elections in the past, while 15 (25%) were former TDs. Eileen Flynn is the first Irish Traveller woman to be a member of the Seanad.^[2]