ABSTRACT
The constitution defines the Oireachtas as consisting of two houses, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, and the President (Article 15.1.2). Of these three political actors, the Dáil is the most significant, and we shall concentrate upon it in this chapter. It currently consists of 166 members (see Appendix 2c) elected from 43 constituencies, while the upper house, the indirectly elected Seanad, has 60 members.
