Starting as a new TD

The first thing you should do is arrange to sign the Roll of Members in the presence of the Clerk of the Dáil, Mr. Peter Finnegan. This must be signed before you take your seat in the Dáil Chamber on the first sitting day.

To sign the Roll, you should make an appointment with Ms. Brigid McGlynn, Private Secretary to the Clerk of the Dáil and Secretary General.

✉ Brigid.McGlynn@oireachtas.ie
☎ (01) 6183438

On signing the Roll you are deemed to have taken your seat in Dáil Éireann.

When you sign the Roll an official photograph will be taken. This will be used for all official purposes and a copy will be available to you for your own use also.

Each new Deputy will be assigned a Member Liaison Officer, an experienced member of staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas who will be your point of contact in your first days and weeks as a new Member.

Your Member Liaison Officer will support you and provide practical assistance to you as a new Member of Dáil Éireann.

The role of the liaison officer is to help new Members as they become familiar with the Leinster House complex, to explain the services and facilities available and to provide an overview of the workings of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Your liaison officer can respond to your questions or refer you to the relevant section.

The first sitting day of a new Dáil will be a very busy day. The parliamentary business for the day is set out in Standing Orders and will be as follows:

Report on the issue of writs and announcement of returns

The Clerk of Dáil makes this official announcement, which will include the names of all 174 TDs elected to the 34th Dáil.

Selection of candidate and election of Ceann Comhairle

The first order of business in a new Dáil is the selection of Ceann Comhairle, or Chairperson of the Dáil, from its Members. 

• Find out more about how the Ceann Comhairle is selected

Nomination and election of Taoiseach

After the Ceann Comhairle's selection he or she takes the Chair and proceeds to the next business item, the nomination of Taoiseach.

The Clerk of the Dáil will read out the proclamation received from the President convening the Dáil.

The Clerk will then read the report on the issuing of writs and the names of the 174 Members elected to the 34th Dáil.

The first item of business in the new Dáil will be the selection of a candidate for election as Ceann Comhairle. The Ceann Comhairle, or Chair of Dáil Éireann, is a constitutional office holder and presides impartially and with authority over the business and proceedings of Dáil Éireann.

The Clerk of the Dáil will act as Chairman of the Dáil until a Ceann Comhairle is elected.

• The selection of Ceann Comhairle will be conducted by way of a secret ballot under the supervision and direction of the Clerk of the Dáil.
• Nominations of candidates for the position of Ceann Comhairle need to be made in writing and received by the Clerk of the Dáil not later than 6 p.m. on the day prior to the first sitting day i.e. 17 December 2024.
• Further details regarding the selection of candidate and election of Ceann Comhairle are set out in Standing Orders.
• Find out more about how the Ceann Comhairle is selected.

Following the announcement by the Clerk of the Dáil of the results of the secret ballot, the House will confirm the selection and the newly elected Ceann Comhairle will take the Chair.

The Ceann Comhairle will then make the following declaration:

I do solemnly declare that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my knowledge and ability, execute the office of Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann without fear or favour, apply the rules as laid down by this House in an impartial and fair manner, maintain order and uphold the rights and privileges of members in accordance with the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann.

The next business item will be the nomination of Taoiseach. A formal proposal must be made by Members to nominate a TD to the position of Taoiseach. The party of the outgoing Taoiseach is normally the first to be asked to nominate a candidate. Before any decision is reached on that nomination, the Ceann Comhairle will call on any other parties that wish to make nominations for Taoiseach.

It is the custom to "second" nominations for the Taoiseach and it is also normal to have a debate on the merits of the candidates. After the debate, the House will consider the proposals in the order in which they were put until a candidate is agreed by a majority of the House.

If a proposal is put to the House and agreed by a majority, the person concerned is nominated by Dáil Éireann for appointment by the President to be Taoiseach. If there is a division, or a formal call for a vote, it will be taken manually rather than by electronic means.

If a candidate is successfully nominated by the House to be Taoiseach, the sitting will be  suspended so that the successful candidate can travel to Áras an Uachtaráin to be appointed by the President. Following their appointment, the new Taoiseach will return to Leinster House and on the resumption of the sitting, will propose to the House the nomination of their new Cabinet, for appointment by the President.

If the House does not agree a candidate for Taoiseach, the outgoing Taoiseach is required to tender his or her resignation to the President. The members of the outgoing Government then continue on a caretaker basis until their successors are appointed.