Teachta Dála

A TD (plural TDanna in Irish;^[1] full Irish form Teachta Dála /ˌtjɒxtə ˈdɔːlə/,^[2] plural Teachtaí Dála^[3]) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" (MP) or "Member of Congress" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil",^[4] though a more literal translation is "Assembly Delegate".

Overview

For electoral purposes, the country is divided into areas known as constituencies, each of which elects either three, four or five TDs. Under the Constitution there must be at least one TD for every 20,000 to 30,000 people.^[4] A candidate to become a TD must be an Irish citizen and over 21.^[5] Members of the judiciary, the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces are disqualified from membership of the Dáil.^[5]

There are 166 TDs in the 31st Dáil. The next general election will elect 158 TDs, a reduction of 8, following the passing of the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013.^[6]

History

The term was first used to describe those Irish parliamentarians^[7] who were elected at the 1918 general election, and who, rather than attending the British House of Commons in London, to which they had been elected, assembled instead in the Mansion House, Dublin on 21 January 1919 to create a new Irish parliament: the First Dáil Éireann. The term continued to be used after this First Dáil and was used to refer to later members of the Irish Republic's single chamber Dáil Éireann (or "Assembly of Ireland") (1919–1922), members of the Free State Dáil (1922–1937), and of the modern Dáil Éireann.

Style

The initials "TD" are placed after the surname of the elected TD. For example, the current Taoiseach (head of government) is "Enda Kenny, TD". The style used to refer to individual TDs during debates in Dáil Éireann is the member's surname preceded by Deputy (Irish: an Teachta): for example, "Deputy Martin", "an Teachta Ó Máirtín".

Salaries and expenses

The basic salary of a backbench TD was reduced by €5,414 to €87,258 in 2013, in line with the Haddington Road Agreement on public sector pay and reform. Cabinet ministers and junior ministers have higher salaries. Office-holders (opposition party leaders, whips, the Ceann Comhairle and Leas-Cheann Comhairle) receive additional allowances.^[8]

After controversy regarding alleged abuses of the Oireachtas expenses provisions, the system was simplified in 2009 and 2010 into two allowances.^{[9][10][11][12]}

• Travel and Accommodation Allowance – ranging from €9,000 for TDs less than 25km from Leinster House to €34,065 for those more than 360 km away.^[12]

• Public Representation Allowance – for maintaining a constituency office; €20,350 for backbench TDs, less for ministers.^[12] All expenses must be vouched, except for a "petty cash" allowance of €100 per month. Until December 2012, TDs could choose between a €25,000 vouched allowance or €15,000 unvouched.^[13]

See also

• Members of the 1st Dáil
• Records of members of the Oireachtas

References