The Labour Panel is one of five vocational panels which together elect 43 of the 60 members of Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (the legislature of

Labour Panel
Labour Panel
Seanad Éireann constituency
Current constituency
Created	1938
Seats	11
Senators	Chris Andrews (SF); Pat Casey (FF); Nessa Cosgrove (Lab); Gerard Craughwell (Ind); Mark Duffy (FG); Robbie Gallagher (FF); Mike Kennelly (FG); Maria McCormack (SF); Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (FF); Patricia Stephenson (SD); Joe O'Reilly (FG);

The Labour Panel is one of five vocational panels which together elect 43 of the 60 members of Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (the legislature of Ireland). The Labour Panel elects eleven senators.

Election

Article 18 of the Constitution of Ireland provides that 43 of the 60 senators are to be elected from five vocational panels. The Labour Panel is defined in Article 18.7.1° (iii) as "Labour, whether organised or unorganised". The Seanad returning officer maintains a list of nominating bodies for each of the five panels. Candidates may be nominated either by four members of the Oireachtas or by a nominating body. The electorate consists of city and county councillors and current members of the Oireachtas. As the Seanad election takes place after the election to the Dáil, the Oireachtas members are the members of the incoming Dáil and the outgoing Seanad. Eleven senators are elected on the Labour Panel, at least four of whom must have been nominated by Oireachtas members and at least four must have been nominated by nominating bodies.

Senators

Senators for the Labour Panel
Key to parties CnaT = Clann na Talmhan CnaP = Clann na Poblachta DL = Democratic Left FF = Fianna Fáil FG = Fine Gael Lab = Labour SF = Sinn Féin SD = Social Democrats Ind. = Independent
Sen	Election	Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)		Senator (Party)
2nd	1938		John Butler (Lab)		James Tunney (Lab)		Michael Conway (Ind.)		John Gaffney (Ind.)		Gilbert Hughes (Ind.)		Thomas McShea (Ind.)		David Walsh (Ind.)		Frederick Hawkins (Ind.)		James Johnston (Ind.)		Seán Hayes (FF)		Seán Milroy (FG)
3rd	1938				James Tunney (Lab)		Seán Campbell (Lab)		William Cummins (Lab)		Thomas Foran (Lab)		Patrick Hogan (Lab)		Eamonn Lynch (Lab)						Seán Hayes (FF)		Peter Lynch (Ind.)
4th	1943				Thomas Hayden (Lab)		Thomas Kennedy (Lab)		Sam Kyle (Lab)		Thomas Foran (Lab)		Michael Colgan (Ind.)		Seán Ruane (Ind.)						Michael Smyth (Ind.)		Richard Mulcahy (FG)
5th	1944										James Tunney (Lab)		John Meighan (CnaT)				John Thomas Keane (Ind.)						Peter Lynch (Ind.)
5th	1946										James Tunney (Lab)						Frederick Hawkins (Ind.)						Peter Lynch (Ind.)
6th	1948				Seán Campbell (Lab)		J. T. O'Farrell (Lab)		Richard Anthony (Ind.)		Michael Colgan (Ind.)								Seán Hayes (FF)				Andrew Fogarty (FF)
7th	1951				William McMullen (Lab)		Noel Hartnett (CnaP)		Pádraig Ághas (Ind.)		Michael Colgan (Ind.)										Daniel O'Rourke (FF)		Vincent McHugh (FG)
8th	1954				Patrick Crowley (Lab)		Dominick Murphy (Lab)		Patrick Tierney (Lab)		Richard Anthony (Ind.)		Frank Purcell (Ind.)								Liam Kelly (Ind.)		Victor Carton (FG)
9th	1957		Joe Sheridan (Ind.)						Liam Ahern (FF)		Frank Carter (FF)		Frank Purcell (Ind.)		Harry Colley (FF)		Eoin Ryan Snr (FF)				Ben O'Quigley (FG)
9th	1960		Joe Sheridan (Ind.)						Liam Ahern (FF)		Frank Carter (FF)		Edward Browne (Ind.)		Harry Colley (FF)		Eoin Ryan Snr (FF)				Ben O'Quigley (FG)
10th	1961		John Butler (Lab)						Seán Brosnahan (Ind.)		Seán Browne (FF)		Joseph Farrell (FF)		Mark Killilea Snr (FF)		Michael Yeats (FF)				James Dooge (FG)
11th	1965		Séamus Dolan (FF)								Seán Browne (FF)				Mark Killilea Snr (FF)		John Ormonde (FF)		Vincent McHugh (FG)		James Dooge (FG)
12th	1969		Jimmy Dunne (Lab)		Fintan Kennedy (Lab)		Evelyn Owens (Lab)				Des Hanafin (FF)				Mark Killilea Jnr (FF)		Seán Walsh (FF)		John Boland (FG)		Michael Lyons (FG)		William O'Brien (FG)
13th	1973		Jack Harte (Lab)				Evelyn Owens (Lab)						Séamus Dolan (FF)		Mark Killilea Jnr (FF)		Bernard Markey (FG)		John Boland (FG)				William O'Brien (FG)
14th	1977						Joseph Dowling (FF)		Brian Hillery (FF)						Tony Herbert (FF)		Bernard Markey (FG)		John Blennerhassett (FG)				Andy O'Brien (FG)
15th	1981				Dan Kiely (FF)		Brian Mullooly (FF)		Brian Hillery (FF)						Toddie Byrne (FG)		Donal Carey (FG)		John Blennerhassett (FG)		Maurice O'Connell (FG)		Andy O'Brien (FG)
16th	1982				Tony Herbert (FF)				Donie Cassidy (FF)				Mark Killilea Jnr (FF)		Toddie Byrne (FG)		Monica Barnes (FG)		Denis Cregan (FG)		Maurice O'Connell (FG)		Dick Dowling (FG)
17th	1983				Brian Hillery (FF)								Mark Killilea Jnr (FF)		Jim Higgins (FG)		Larry McMahon (FG)				Peter Kelleher (FG)		Andy O'Brien (FG)
18th	1987				Brian Hillery (FF)								Don Lydon (FF)		Dan Kiely (FF)						Peter Kelleher (FG)		Nuala Fennell (FG)
19th	1989				Batt O'Keeffe (FF)														Mary Jackman (FG)		Dan Neville (FG)		Pól Ó Foighil (FG)
20th	1993		Seán Maloney (Lab)		Joe Sherlock (DL)						Frank Fahey (FF)						Bill Cotter (FG)		Denis Cregan (FG)		Dan Neville (FG)		Jarlath McDonagh (FG)
21st	1997		Seán Ryan (Lab)		Liam Fitzgerald (FF)						Des Hanafin (FF)						Mary Jackman (FG)				Therese Ridge (FG)
21st	1998		John Cregan (FF)								Des Hanafin (FF)						Mary Jackman (FG)				Therese Ridge (FG)
22nd	2002		Michael McCarthy (Lab)				Brendan Daly (FF)		Geraldine Feeney (FF)		Terry Leyden (FF)				John Hanafin (FF)		Fergal Browne (FG)		Maurice Cummins (FG)		Michael Finucane (FG)		Jim Higgins (FG)
23rd	2007		Michael McCarthy (Lab)		Phil Prendergast (Lab)		Donie Cassidy (FF)		Geraldine Feeney (FF)				Ned O'Sullivan (FF)		John Hanafin (FF)		Jerry Buttimer (FG)				Frances Fitzgerald (FG)		Fidelma Healy Eames (FG)
24th	2011		David Cullinane (SF)		Marie Moloney (Lab)		John Whelan (Lab)		Darragh O'Brien (FF)						Terry Brennan (FG)		Cáit Keane (FG)				Tony Mulcahy (FG)		Fidelma Healy Eames (FG)
25th	2016		Paul Gavan (SF)		Máire Devine (SF)		Ged Nash (Lab)		Gerard Craughwell (Ind.)						Robbie Gallagher (FF)		Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (FF)		Jerry Buttimer (FG)		Joe O'Reilly (FG)		Neale Richmond (FG)
26th	2020		Paul Gavan (SF)		Pauline O'Reilly (GP)		Marie Sherlock (Lab)				Pat Casey (FF)						Shane Cassells (FF)		Jerry Buttimer (FG)				John Cummins (FG)
27th	2025		Maria McCormack (SF)		Chris Andrews (SF)		Nessa Cosgrove (Lab)				Pat Casey (FF)		Patricia Stephenson (SD)				Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (FF)		Mark Duffy (FG)				Mike Kennelly (FG)

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns.

Notes

Died on 18 September 1947.
Died on 22 May 1946.
Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 24 July 1946m
Died on 2 August 1956.
Died on 27 February 1950.
Resigned on 31 May 1950.
Died on 22 June 1953.
Died on 2 April 1960.
Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 1 November 1960.
Died on 23 February 1972.
Resigned Fianna Fáil whip on 27 March 2007.
Elected to the Seanad at a by-election on 23 June 1998.
Fine Gael party whip removed on 16 July 2013.
Suspended from Sinn Féin 19 March – 19 June 2018.
Elected to Dáil Éireann on 8 February 2020.

List of nominating bodies

The following bodies are on the register of nominating bodies maintained by the Seanad Returning Officer for the Labour Panel:

Irish Conference of Professional and Service Associations
Irish Congress of Trade Unions

[8] Died on 18 September 1947.

[9] Died on 22 May 1946.

[10] Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 24 July 1946m

[11] Died on 2 August 1956.

[12] Died on 27 February 1950.

[13] Resigned on 31 May 1950.

[14] Died on 22 June 1953.

[15] Died on 2 April 1960.

[16] Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 1 November 1960.

[17] Died on 23 February 1972.

[18] Resigned Fianna Fáil whip on 27 March 2007.

[19] Elected to the Seanad at a by-election on 23 June 1998.

[20] Fine Gael party whip removed on 16 July 2013.

[21] Suspended from Sinn Féin 19 March – 19 June 2018.

[ge20-22] Elected to Dáil Éireann on 8 February 2020.