Teachta Dála

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Teachta Dála (IPA: [ˈtʲaxtə ˈdɑːlə]) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Oireachtas (Parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. The official translation of Teachta Dála is Deputy to the Dáil,^[1] a more literal translation is Assembly Delegate. In English the abbreviation TD is normally used, with TDs as the plural (Irish: Teachtaí Dála).

The term was first used to describe Irish parliamentarians elected in the 1918 general election who, rather than attending the British House of Commons in London, to which they had been elected, assembled instead in Dublin's Mansion House to create a new Irish parliament: Dáil Éireann. The term continued to be used after this "First Dáil" and was used to refer to later members of the Irish Republic's single chamber Dáil Éireann (or "Assembly of Ireland") (1919–1922), members of Dáil Éireann (or "Chamber of Deputies") of the Irish Free State (1922–1937), and the Dáil Éireann (or the "House of Representatives") of Ireland.

[edit] Style

The initials "TD" are placed after the surname of the elected TD. For example, the current Taoiseach (head of government) is "Brian Cowen, TD". The style used to refer to individual TDs during debates in Dáil Éireann is the member's name preceded by Deputy (Irish: an Teachta): for example, "Deputy Kenny", "an Teachta Ó Cionnaith".