Independent politicians | |
---|---|
Dáil Éireann | 18 / 160 11% |
Seanad Éireann | 9 / 60 15% |
European Parliament | 2 / 14 14% |
Local government | 178 / 949 19% |
Independent politicians contest elections without the support of a political party. They have played a continuous role in the politics of the Republic of Ireland since its independence in 1922.
If a candidate is not the candidate of a registered political party, they may be nominated for elections to Dáil Éireann with the assent of 30 electors in the constituency, [1] for elections to the European Parliament with the assent of 60 electors in the constituency, [2] and for local elections with the assent of 15 electors in the local electoral area. [3] They may choose to have the designation non-party next to their name on the ballot paper. [4]
In Seanad elections and presidential elections, candidates are not nominated by parties directly, and party labels do not appear on the ballot.
In the case of minority governments, where the party or parties forming the government do not have a majority in the Dáil, they will usually be dependent on independent TDs in votes of confidence. This can be by formal arrangement with the government.
In the Inter-Party Government led by John A. Costello as Taoiseach, James Dillon served as Minister for Agriculture. He was an independent TD, having left Fine Gael in 1942 because he disagreed with the policy of neutrality during the Second World War. He rejoined Fine Gael in 1953 and became leader in 1959.
In 2009, Mary Harney continued as Minister for Health as an independent member of the government after the dissolution of the Progressive Democrats, and served until 2011.
After the 2016 general election, 3 independent TDs were appointed to a minority Fine Gael–Independent government on 6 May 2016: Denis Naughten as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Shane Ross as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and Katherine Zappone as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Ross was a member of the Independent Alliance, and other members of the Independent Alliance were appointed as Ministers of State. Naughten resigned as minister on 11 October 2018. Ross and Zappone served until the appointment of a new government on 27 June 2020.
In 2023, two independent TDs formed a political party named Independent Ireland. [5]
At the 2024 local elections, independents won 178 of the 949 seats on city and county councils.
There are two independent MEPs representing Ireland in the European Parliament. Luke 'Ming' Flanagan MEP for Midlands–North-West since 2014, and Michael McNamara MEP for South since 2024.
The current President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins was elected in 2011 having been nominated by Labour Party members of the Oireachtas, but re-elected in 2018 on his own nomination.
Key for government column:
Independents participated in government |
Majority government |
Minority government |
Election | Seats won | ± | First pref. votes | % | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1921 | 4 / 128 Southern Ireland only | No Poll | No Poll | Sinn Féin majority | |
1922 | 9 / 128 | 5 | 48,638 | 7.8 | CnaG minority |
1923 | 13 / 153 | 4 | 85,869 | 8.1 | CnaG minority |
1927 (Jun) | 16 / 153 | 3 | 153,370 | 13.4 | CnaG minority |
1927 (Sep) | 12 / 153 | 4 | 92,959 | 7.9 | CnaG minority |
1932 | 14 / 153 | 2 | 131,890 | 10.4 | FF minority |
1933 | 9 / 153 | 5 | 68,882 | 5.0 | FF minority |
1937 | 8 / 138 | 1 | 128,480 | 9.7 | FF minority |
1938 | 7 / 138 | 1 | 60,685 | 4.7 | FF majority |
1943 | 11 / 138 | 4 | 116,024 | 8.7 | FF minority |
1944 | 10 / 138 | 1 | 94,852 | 7.8 | FF majority |
1948 | 11 / 147 | 1 | 94,271 | 7.2 | FG–Lab–CnaP–CnaT–NLP–Ind |
1951 | 14 / 147 | 3 | 127,234 | 9.6 | FF minority |
1954 | 5 / 147 | 9 | 70,937 | 5.3 | FG–Lab–CnaT |
1957 | 9 / 147 | 4 | 72,492 | 5.9 | FF majority |
1961 | 6 / 144 | 3 | 65,963 | 5.6 | FF minority |
1965 | 2 / 144 | 4 | 26,277 | 2.1 | FF minority |
1969 | 1 / 144 | 1 | 42,230 | 3.2 | FF majority |
1973 | 2 / 144 | 1 | 39,419 | 2.9 | FG–Labour |
1977 | 4 / 148 | 2 | 87,527 | 5.5 | FF majority |
1981 | 4 / 166 | 0 | 63,829 | 3.7 | FG–Labour minority |
1982 (Feb) | 4 / 166 | 0 | 46,059 | 2.8 | FF minority |
1982 (Nov) | 3 / 166 | 1 | 38,735 | 2.3 | FG–Labour |
1987 | 3 / 166 | 0 | 70,843 | 4.0 | FF minority |
1989 | 4 / 166 | 1 | 54,761 | 3.3 | FF–PD |
1992 | 5 / 166 | 1 | 99,487 | 5.8 | FF–Lab (1993–94) FG–Lab–DL (1994–97) |
1997 | 6 / 166 | 1 | 123,102 | 7.9 | FF–PD minority |
2002 | 17 / 166 | 11 | 176,305 | 9.5 | FF–PD |
2007 | 5 / 166 | 12 | 106,429 | 5.2 | FF–Green–PD |
2011 | 14 / 166 | 9 | 269,703 | 12.1 | FG–Labour |
2016 | 19 / 158 | 5 | 338,215 | 15.9 | FG–Ind minority |
2020 | 19 / 160 | 0 | 266,529 | 12.2 | FF–FG–Green |
The 2002 Irish general election to the 29th Dáil was held on Friday, 17 May, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday, 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. The general election took place in 42 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, with a revision of constituencies since the last election under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1998.
The 1992 Irish general election to the 27th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 25 November, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the 26th Dáil on 5 November by President Mary Robinson, on the request of Taoiseach Albert Reynolds following a defeat of the government in a motion of confidence. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, under a revision in the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1990. Three referendums on abortion were held on the same date.
The November 1982 Irish general election to the 24th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 24 November, three weeks after the dissolution of the 23rd Dáil on 4 November by President Patrick Hillery, on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey following a defeat of the government in a motion of confidence. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas.
The 1981 Irish general election to the 22nd Dáil was held on Thursday, 11 June, following the dissolution of the 21st Dáil on 21 May by President Patrick Hillery on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas. The number of seats in the Dáil was increased by 18 from 148 under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980.
The 1969 Irish general election to the 19th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 18 June, following the dissolution of the 18th Dáil on 22 May by President Éamon de Valera on the request of Taoiseach Jack Lynch. The general election took place in 42 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 144 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, with boundary changes under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969. The governing Fianna Fáil won its fourth successive election.
In Ireland, direct elections by universal suffrage are used for the President, the ceremonial head of state; for Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas or parliament; for the European Parliament; and for local government. All elections use proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) in constituencies returning three or more members, except that the presidential election and by-elections use the single-winner analogue of STV, elsewhere called instant-runoff voting or the alternative vote. Members of Seanad Éireann, the second house of the Oireachtas, are partly nominated, partly indirectly elected, and partly elected by graduates of particular universities.
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