A front bench () in
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland r ...
, the
lower house of the
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the bicameral parliament of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:
*The President of Ireland
*The two houses of the Oireachtas ( ga, Tithe an Oireachtais):
**Dáil Éireann ...
of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, refers to any organised group of party members who holds any degree of speaking power (derived from the party) on specific issues. This includes government ministers and party spokespersons.
The
Teachtaí Dála (TDs) who are members of the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The go ...
constitutes the "government front bench", while members of parties in declared opposition to the government constitute the "opposition front bench".
By comparison, members of a governing or opposition party, who are not ministers or spokespersons, are typically said to the represent the "back benches".
Third parties (those who may not be in government or opposition) may only have power to speak or be recognised by the
Ceann Comhairle if such parties number at least five TDs. In order to attain the right to speak in session, parties and independents with fewer members can ally themselves into coalitions known as
technical group
In politics, a technical group or mixed group is a heterogenous parliamentary group composed of elected officials from political parties of differing ideologies (or independent of any party) who are not numerous enough to form groups on their own ...
s.
Despite the frequent necessity for coalitions in front benches, each party retains its own front bench spokespersons analogous (but not exclusively analogous) to government departments.
List of front benches
*
Government of the 33rd Dáil
**
Fine Gael Front Bench
**
Fianna Fáil Front Bench
**
Green Party Front Bench
*
Opposition Front Bench
**
Sinn Féin Front Bench
Sinn Féin is the second largest political party in the Oireachtas and largest in Dáil Éireann. The Sinn Féin leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly corresp ...
**
Labour Party Front Bench
**
Technical group
In politics, a technical group or mixed group is a heterogenous parliamentary group composed of elected officials from political parties of differing ideologies (or independent of any party) who are not numerous enough to form groups on their own ...
References
{{Dáil Éireann benches
Politics of the Republic of Ireland