30th Dáil

The Dáil, or Dáil Éireann, is the lower house of the Irish bicameral parliament. The upper house, the Senate or Seanad Éireann and the Dáil together form the parliament, known as the Oireachtas. The "30th Dáil" is so called because it will be the 30th to sit since the foundation of the state.

Dáil Éireann (usually just called "the Dáil") has 166 members, Teachtaí Dála ("Teachta Dála" is the singular form, abbreviated to "TD"), each elected to represent one of 43 multi-seat constituencies under the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote.

Under the constitution, parliamentary elections must be held at least every seven years, though a lower limit may be set by statute law. The current statutory maximum term is every five years. The current government consists of a coalition of two parties; Fianna Fáil under Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Progressive Democrats under Tánaiste Michael McDowell. The main opposition in the current Dáil consists of Fine Gael and Labour. Smaller parties such as the Green Party, Sinn Féin and the Socialist Party also have representation in the Dáil.

On Sunday 29th April, 2007, Taoiseach Ahern called a general election to elect the 30th Dáil. It will take place on Thursday 24th May, 2007.

Nominations for the election closed on Wednesday 9th May, 2007. 469 candidates have declared that they will run for election for the 165 seats available (the sitting Chairperson, or Ceann Comhairle, is returned automatically).

See also

• The Oireachtas website
• Election coverage by The Irish Times