Front bench (Ireland) explained

A front bench ^{[1] [2]} in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland, refers to any organised group of party members who holds any degree of speaking power (derived from the party) on specific issues. This includes government ministers and party spokespersons.^[3] The Teachtaí Dála (TDs) who are members of the Government of Ireland constitutes the "government front bench", while members of parties in declared opposition to the government constitute the "opposition front bench".^[4] By comparison, members of a governing or opposition party, who are not ministers or spokespersons, are typically said to the represent the "back benches".^{[3] [4]}

Third parties (those who may not be in government or opposition) may only have power to speak or be recognised by the Ceann Comhairle if such parties number at least five TDs.^[5] In order to attain the right to speak in session, parties and independents with fewer members can ally themselves into coalitions known as technical groups.^[6]

Despite the frequent necessity for coalitions in front benches, each party retains its front bench spokespersons analogous (but not exclusively analogous) to government departments.

List of front benches

• Government of the 33rd Dáil
  • Fine Gael Front Bench
  • Fianna Fáil Front Bench
  • Green Party Front Bench
• Opposition Front Bench
  • Sinn Féin Front Bench
  • Labour Party Front Bench
  • Technical group

See also

• Frontbench Team

Notes and References

1. Web site: Éamon Ó Cuív díbeartha ó bhinse tosaigh Fhianna Fáil. Tuairisc.ie. 8 November 2018 .
2. Binse tosaigh Fhianna Fáil ainmnithe. May 18, 2016. www.rte.ie.
3. Web site: Glossary . Houses of the Oireachtas . oirachtas.ie . 29 August 2020 . "Front bench [..] The seats where Government Ministers and party spokespersons sit .
4. Web site: Dáil Éireann . Houses of the Oireachtas . oirachtas.ie . 29 August 2020 . Ministers and Ministers of State [..] are referred to as the Government Front Bench [..] The Opposition parties appoint spokespersons on the various Ministries, creating their own Front Benches and Back Benches . 8 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201008151657/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/dail-eireann/ . dead .
5. Web site: Parties with five TDs to be awarded speaking rights in Dáil . Irish Times . irishtimes.com . 6 April 2016 . 29 August 2020.
6. Web site: Independent TDs consider technical group options amid Government formation confusion . Irish Examiner . irishexaminer.com . 18 February 2020 . 29 August 2020 . A technical grouping can be formed by a number of independents in order to reach the threshold to acquire speaking rights in the Dáil .