Oireachtas committees comprise members of one or both Houses of the Oireachtas who chosen to consider particular subjects. There are two broad categories of Oireachtas committee: departmental and thematic. Departmental committees scrutinise the work of government departments, legislation and all aspects of policy relating to that department. Thematic committees consider specific topics, such as the Good Friday Agreement, Brexit or the Irish language.
Joint committees
A joint or ‘departmental’ committee comprises a select committee from both the Dáil and the Seanad. On establishment, and at the beginning of each year, joint committees decide on their priority areas allocated time for each over the year ahead. Each committee then publishes and submits its annual work programme to be laid in the Oireachtas Library. Joint committees are generally established for the term of Dáil and consider the expenditure, administration and policy of each respective department and associated public bodies. Between 30 July 2020 and 18 September 2020, the Oireachtas appointed 13 joint departmental committees.
Committee on Agriculture and the Marine
Chair: Jackie Cahill, Fianna Fáil
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Deputies:
Martin Browne, Sinn Féin
Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin
Michael Collins, Independent
Joe Flaherty, Fianna Fáil
Paul Kehoe, Fine Gael
Brian Leddin, Green Party
Michael Ring, Fine Gael
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Senators:
Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin
Paul Daly, Fianna Fáil
Tim Lombard, Fine Gael
Denis O’Donovan, Fianna Fáil
Clerk: Josie Briody
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Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration
Chair: Kathleen Funchion, Sinn Féin
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Deputies:
Patrick Costello, Green Party
Cathal Crowe, Fianna Fáil
Alan Dillon, Fine Gael
Joe Flaherty, Fianna Fáil
John Paul Phelan, Fine Gael
Seán Sherlock, Labour Party
Mark Ward, Sinn Féin
Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats
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Senators:
Mary Fitzpatrick, Fianna Fáil
Sharon Keogan, Independent
Erin McGreehan, Fianna Fáil
Lynn Ruane, Independent
Mary Seery Kearney, Fine Gael
Clerk: Anita Gibbons
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Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Chair: Paul Kehoe, Fine Gael
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Deputies:
Rose Conway-Walsh, Sinn Féin
Alan Farrell, Fine Gael
Carol Nolan, Independent
Jim O’Callaghan, Fianna Fáil
Pádraig O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Marc Ó Cathasaigh, Green Party
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire,
Sinn Féin
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party
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Senators:
Aisling Dolan, Fine Gael
Eileen Flynn, Independent
Rónán Mullen, Independent
Fiona O’Loughlin, Fianna Fáil
Pauline O’Reilly, Green Party
Clerk: Tara Kelly
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Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chair: Maurice Quinlivan, Sinn Féin
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Deputies:
Richard Bruton, Fine Gael
Francis Noel Duffy, Green Party
Joe Flaherty, Fianna Fáil
Paul Murphy, Solidarity/People Before Profit
Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Féin
Matt Shanahan, Independent
Niamh Smyth, Fianna Fáil
David Stanton, Fine Gael
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Senators:
Garret Ahearn, Fine Gael
Ollie Crowe, Fianna Fáil
Róisín Garvey, Green Party
Paul Gavan, Sinn Féin
Marie Sherlock, Labour Party
Clerk: Tom Sheridan
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Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Chair: John McGuinness, Fianna Fáil
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Deputies:
Mick Barry, Solidarity/People Before Profit
Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin
Bernard Durkan, Fine Gael
Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin
Steven Matthews, Green Party
Jim O’Callaghan, Fianna Fáil
Neale Richmond, Fine Gael
Peadar Tóibín, Aontú
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Senators:
Pat Casey, Fianna Fáil
Aidan Davitt, Fianna Fáil
Alice-Mary Higgins, Independent
Marie Sherlock, Labour Party
Clerk: Aileen Fallon
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Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence
Chair: Charlie Flanagan, Fine Gael
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Deputies:
Cathal Berry, Independent
John Brady, Sinn Féin
Sorca Clarke, Sinn Féin
Barry Cowen, Fianna Fáil
James Lawless, Fianna Fáil
Brian Leddin, Green Party
David Stanton, Fine Gael
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Senators:
Catherine Ardagh, Fianna Fáil
Gerard P. Craughwell, Independent
Joe O’Reilly, Fine Gael
Diarmuid Wilson, Fianna Fáil
Clerk: Noel Murphy
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Committee on Health
Chair: Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin
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Deputies:
Colm Burke, Fine Gael
Cathal Crowe, Fianna Fáil
David Cullinane, Sinn Féin
Bernard Durkan, Fine Gael
Neasa Hourigan, Green Party
Gino Kenny, Solidarity/People Before Profit
John Lahart, Fianna Fáil
Róisín Shortall, Social Democrats
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Senators:
Frances Black, Independent
Lorraine Clifford-Lee, Fianna Fáil
Martin Conway, Fine Gael
Annie Hoey, Labour Party
Seán Kyne, Fine Gael
Clerk: Ted McEnery
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Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Chair: Steven Matthews, Green Party
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Deputies:
Francis Noel Duffy, Green Party
Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin
Emer Higgins, Fine Gael
Paul McAuliffe, Fianna Fáil
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, Fianna Fáil
Cian O’Callaghan
Social Democrats
Richard O’Donoghue
Independent
Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin
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Senators:
Victor Boyhan, Independent
John Cummins, Fine Gael
Mary Fitzpatrick, Fianna Fáil
Rebecca Moynihan, Labour Party
Mary Seery Kearney, Fine Gael
Clerk: Anne-Marie Lynch
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Committee on Justice
Chair: James Lawless, Fianna Fáil
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Deputies:
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Fine Gael
Patrick Costello, Green Party
Michael Creed, Fine Gael
Pa Daly, Sinn Féin
Brendan Howlin, Labour Party
Martin Kenny, Sinn Féin
Niamh Smyth, Fianna Fáil
Thomas Pringle, Independent
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Senators:
Robbie Gallagher, Fianna Fáil
Vincent P. Martin, Green Party
Michael McDowell, Independent
Lynn Ruane, Independent
Barry Ward, Fine Gael
Clerk: Alan Guidon
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Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht
Chair: Niamh Smyth, Fianna Fáil
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Deputies:
Ciarán Cannon, Fine Gael
Alan Dillon, Fine Gael
Peter Fitzpatrick, Independent
Brendan Griffin, Fine Gael
Mattie McGrath, Independent
Imelda Munster, Sinn Féin
Johnny Mythen, Sinn Féin
Christopher O’Sullivan
Fianna Fáil
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Senators:
Malcolm Byrne, Fianna Fáil
Micheál Carrigy, Fine Gael
Shane Cassells, Fianna Fáil
Annie Hoey, Labour Party
Fintan Warfield, Sinn Féin
Clerk: Laura Pathe
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Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands
Chair: Denis Naughten, Independent
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Deputies:
Jackie Cahill, Fianna Fáil
Joe Carey, Fine Gael
Joan Collins, Independents 4 Change
Paul Donnelly, Sinn Féin
Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael
Claire Kerrane, Sinn Féin
Marc Ó Cathasaigh, Green Party
Éamon Ó Cuív, Fianna Fáil
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Senators:
Paddy Burke, Fine Gael
Róisín Garvey, Green Party
Paul Gavan, Sinn Féin
Eugene Murphy, Fianna Fáil
Mark Wall, Labour Party
Clerk: Paul Kelly
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Committee on Transport and Communications Networks
Chair: Kieran O’Donnell, Fine Gael
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Deputies:
Joe Carey, Fine Gael
Cathal Crowe, Fianna Fáil
Michael Lowry, Independent
Steven Matthews, Green Party
James O’Connor, Fianna Fáil
Darren O’Rourke, Sinn Féin
Duncan Smith, Labour Party
Ruairí Ó Murchú, Sinn Féin
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Senators:
Jerry Buttimer, Fine Gael
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Rónán Mullen, Independent
Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Clerk: Pádraig Grant
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Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday
Agreement
Chair: Fergus O’Dowd, Fine Gael
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Deputies:
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Fine Gael
Rose Conway-Walsh, Sinn Féin
Patrick Costello, Green Party
James Lawless, Fianna Fáil
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Sinn Féin
Michael McNamara, Independent
Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil
Peadar Tóibín, Aontú
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Senators:
Frances Black, Independent
Niall Blaney, Fianna Fáil
Gerard P. Craughwell Independent
Emer Currie, Fine Gael
Annie Hoey, Labour Party
John McGahon, Fine Gael
Niall Ó Donnghaile, Sinn Féin
Clerk: Paul Stephens
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