Civil Engagement group

The Civil Engagement group (Irish: Grúpa Comhpháirteachas Phoiblí)[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.[2]

Civil Engagement group
Grúpa Comhpháirteachas Phoiblí
Founded25 May 2016 (2016-05-25)
Seanad Éireann
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Website
seanadceg.ie

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:

References
  1. Seanad Special Select Committee On The Withdrawal Of The United Kingdom From The European Union. "Report of Activities in 2017 and 2018" (PDF). Oireachtas. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  2. "Five Independent senators have formed a technical group in the Seanad". breakingnews.ie. Cork: Landmark Digital. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  3. "Waterford Senator Grace O'Sullivan forms Seanad technical group". WLR FM. 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  4. "Address by Mr. Manus Cooney: Motion". Seanad debates. 4 October 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2016. 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.
  5. "Business of Seanad". Seanad Éireann Debates. 12 July 1973. Vol. 75 No. 6 p.4. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016. 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.
  6. "Social Democrats and Green Party form Dáil technical group". UTV Ireland. 30 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  7. Roche, Barry. "Grace O'Sullivan pips Deirdre Clune to fourth Ireland South seat". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  8. O'Halloran, Marie. "Seanad election: Fianna Fáil on top as marathon count concludes". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  9. "About us". The Civil Engagement Group. 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  10. Angulo, Ingrid. "Alice-Mary Higgins and the Seanad: The Time To Vote Is Now". Hotpress. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
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