Civil Engagement group explained

Civil Engagement group
Native Name:Grúpa Comhpháirteachas Phoiblí
Seats1 Title:Seanad Éireann

The Civil Engagement group [1] is a technical group in Seanad Éireann (the upper house of the Oireachtas or parliament of Ireland) composed of senators with a background in civic engagement organisations.

History

The group was established in May 2016 after the election of the 25th Seanad, initially by independent senators Alice-Mary Higgins, Frances Black, Lynn Ruane and John Dolan, along with Grace O'Sullivan of the Green Party.[2] Colette Kelleher joined the group after being nominated to the Seanad by the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. All six were first-time senators. O'Sullivan said the group members "share an activist background and will be pursuing progressive policy".[3]

The Civil Engagement group is separate from the "Independent group",[4] a technical group long established within the Seanad.[5]

Seanad technical groups do not mirror those in the Dáil; while O'Sullivan joined the Civil Engagement group in the 25th Seanad, in the 32nd Dáil, for example, Green Party TDs sat with the Social Democrats to form a group for speaking time.[6]

Three of the six members of the technical group did not return to the 26th Seanad, beginning with the Green Party's O'Sullivan election to the European Parliament in the 2019 European Parliament elections for the South constituency.[7] Dolan was not re-elected, and Kelleher did not seek re-election.[8] Taoiseach's nominee Eileen Flynn joined the group on her appointment, bringing the group's parliamentary representation up to four.[9]

Composition

25th Seanad

The following senators were members of the Civil Engagement group in the 25th Seanad:

26th Seanad

The following senators are members of the Civil Engagement group in the 26th Seanad:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Report of Activities in 2017 and 2018 . Seanad Special Select Committee On The Withdrawal Of The United Kingdom From The European Union . . 24 September 2021 . 3 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191203132410/https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/32/seanad_special_committee_on_the_withdrawal_of_the_united_kingdom_from_the_european_union/reports/2019/2019-05-14_report-of-activities-in-2017-and-2018_en.pdf . live .
  2. News: Five Independent senators have formed a technical group in the Seanad . breakingnews.ie . Landmark Digital . Cork . 29 November 2016 . 24 May 2016 . 28 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160628115019/http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/five-independent-senators-have-formed-a-technical-group-in-the-seanad-736844.html . live .
  3. News: Waterford Senator Grace O'Sullivan forms Seanad technical group . 25 May 2016 . 29 November 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160816132635/http://www.wlrfm.com/news/local/68070-waterford-senator-grace-osullivan-forms-seanad-technical-group.html . 16 August 2016 . dead .
  4. Web site: Address by Mr. Manus Cooney: Motion. 4 Oct 2016. Seanad debates. Schedule Fine Gael Group: 2 questions Fianna Fáil Group: 2 questions Independent Group: 2 questions Sinn Féin Group: 2 questions Civil Engagement Group: 2 questions Labour Group: 2 questions.. 29 November 2016. 24 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924124623/https://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2016-10-04a.102&s=%22Engagement+Group%22+%22independent+group%22#g103. live.
  5. Web site: Business of Seanad.. There is a very flexible approach being adopted by the Committee as representative of all the groups in the Seanad. The Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party, the Fianna Fáil Party and the independent group have their representatives on the Committee.. 12 July 1973. Seanad Éireann Debates. Vol. 75 No. 6 p.4. y. 29 November 2016. 29 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161129211945/http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/seanad1973071200004. live.
  6. News: Social Democrats and Green Party form Dáil technical group . 30 May 2016 . . 29 November 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161021094451/http://utv.ie/News/2016/05/30/Social-Democrats-and-Green-Party-form-Dail-technical-group-59759 . 21 October 2016 . dmy-all .
  7. News: Roche. Barry. Grace O'Sullivan pips Deirdre Clune to fourth Ireland South seat. 2020-08-04. The Irish Times. en. 2 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210502122319/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/grace-o-sullivan-pips-deirdre-clune-to-fourth-ireland-south-seat-1.3915424. live.
  8. News: O'Halloran. Marie. Seanad election: Fianna Fáil on top as marathon count concludes. 2020-08-04. The Irish Times. en. 24 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924124621/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/seanad-election-fianna-f%C3%A1il-on-top-as-marathon-count-concludes-1.4220118. live.
  9. Web site: 2018-12-03. About us. 2020-08-04. The Civil Engagement Group. en. 21 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210121075246/https://seanadceg.ie/about-us/. live.
  10. Web site: Angulo. Ingrid. Alice-Mary Higgins and the Seanad: The Time To Vote Is Now. 2020-08-04. Hotpress. 24 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924124640/https://www.hotpress.com/culture/alice-mary-higgins-seanad-time-vote-now-22810329. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Civil Engagement group".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.