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The group led by former senator Dr Maurice Manning has four months to devise proposals

Seanad reform group set up by Government

A working group on Seanad reform has been formed by the Government to make recommendations on possible changes to how the upper house functions

News • 08 Dec 14

Members of the Seanad were discussing the revised water charges system

Senator says some water staff should keep bonuses

Labour senator Denis Landy has criticised the Government's decision to take away bonuses for all Irish Water staff.

News • 26 Nov 14

Taoiseach Enda Kenny launched Ireland 2016 last night

Google Translate used for 1916 anniversary website

A spokesperson for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has confirmed that Google Translate was used to translate English into Irish on a Government website promoting the 1916 commemorations.

News • 13 Nov 14

Fianna Fáil senator Averil Power tabled the motion

Seanad calls on Government to recognise Palestine

The Seanad has passed a motion calling on the Government to reognise the state of Palestine.

News • 22 Oct 14

Gerard Craughwell was in Leinster House for the vote

Craughwell wins Seanad by-election

Independent candidate Gerard Craughwell has won the Seanad by-election, beating Fine Gael's John McNulty and Sinn Féin Councillor Catherine Seeley.

News • 10 Oct 14

Senator Mark Daly asked the Arts Minister to confirm the meeting took place

Senator claims Kenny and McNulty met in June

Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly has claimed that the Taoiseach personally met controversial Seanad by-election candidate John McNulty in Sligo on 20 June.

News • 08 Oct 14

The Opposition is still demanding answers in the Dáil

Fine Gael discusses Seanad by-election controversy

The Fine Gael parliamentary party met this evening with members discussing the row over the Seanad by-election.

News • 02 Oct 14

Jan O'Sullivan said she does not know John McNulty

Tánaiste favours advertising State positions

Tánaiste Joan Burton has said she spoke to Taoiseach Enda Kenny at length this morning about the issue of the appointment of people to State boards.

News • 29 Sep 14

Gerard Craughwell had asked the clerk of the Seanad to remove Mr McNulty's name from the ballot paper

Craughwell seeks legal advice over Seanad election

Independent Seanad by-election candidate Gerard Craughwell will meet legal advisers tomorrow afternoon, to decide on his next steps, as the controversy over the selection of Fine Gael candidate John McNulty continues.

News • 28 Sep 14

The IMMA board's rules preclude a board member contesting an election at the same time

John McNulty steps down from IMMA board

John McNulty, who was appointed by the Govt to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art and was also selected by Fine Gael as a Seanad candidate, has announced he is stepping down from the IMMA board.

News • 25 Sep 14

A stand-off has developed over efforts by Lucinda Creighton and members of the Reform Alliance to join the Dáil technical group

Budget tops agenda as Dáil returns from break

TDs and Senators have returned to Leinster House as the Dáil and Seanad resumed this afternoon following the summer break.

News • 17 Sep 14

The Upper House of the Oireachtas met 12 times fewer compared to the period prior to the referendum

Seanad sittings down 10% since referendum

The Seanad has been in session for fewer days since people voted to retain it last Autumn.

News • 28 Jul 14

Seagulls looking for scraps in Howth, Co Dublin

Dublin seagulls 'have lost the run of themselves'

Seagulls in Dublin have "lost the run of themselves", a Fianna Fáil senator has told the Seanad.

News • 17 Jul 14

Senator Paschal Mooney said ministers were bypassing the democratic process

Kenny disregards 'hysterical response' of senators

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he disregards completely the "hysterical response from a number of senators" to the Government's move to insure it has a majority on the banking inquiry.

News • 12 Jun 14

There have been objections to the selection of Fianna Fáil's Marc MacSharry

Chairman warns row could damage banking inquiry

The chair of the selection committee at the centre of a row that is delaying the banking inquiry has warned that the dispute could damage the work of the investigation.

News • 09 Jun 14

Fianna Fáil's Marc MacSharry was recommended by the Seanad Committee on Selection

Seanad committee recommends bank inquiry members

The Seanad Committee on Selection, which appoints members to committees, has recommended that Independent Senator Sean Barrett and Fianna Fáil's Marc MacSharry sit on the banking inquiry.

News • 04 Jun 14

Senator Aideen Hayden said Ireland should follow France's example and ban pageants

Seanad debates motion on child beauty pageants

The Seanad has debated a private members' motion calling on stakeholders to oppose child beauty pageants in Ireland.

News • 05 Mar 14

The bill will now go to the Dáil for consideration

Government loses Seanad vote on rent reviews

The Government has suffered a defeat in a Seanad vote on a private members bill on upward-only rent reviews.

News • 26 Feb 14

Democracy Matters wants a role for the Seanad in EU legislation

Democracy Matters publishes Seanad reform plans

The political reform group Democracy Matters has published wide-ranging proposals for Seanad reform, which it says will not require a referendum.

News • 13 Jan 14

The Taoiseach would still nominate 11 members to the Seanad under Fianna Fáil's proposals

Fianna Fáil publishes Seanad reform bill

Fianna Fáil has published a bill which it says would introduce immediate reforms to the Seanad.

News • 09 Jan 14

Juts over half of those surveyed said they found it 'quite difficult' or 'very difficult' to tell from the ballot paper what they were being asked to vote for

Voters confused by Seanad referendum ballot paper

The Referendum Commission has said consideration should be given to a review of how ballot papers are designed after it found significant confusion among voters in the recent Seanad referendum.

News • 19 Dec 13

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said a firm of solicitors had made a complaint to gardaí about NAMA

NAMA reports second former employee to gardaí

A spokesman for the National Asset Management Agency has confirmed it has reported a second former employee to gardaí for allegedly sharing information unlawfully.

News • 17 Dec 13