Irish political titles at a glance
| Title | Say it | What it means | Nearest equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taoiseach | TEE-shukh | Head of the Government | Prime Minister |
| Tánaiste | TAW-nish-tuh | Deputy head of the Government | Deputy Prime Minister |
| Teachta Dála (TD) | TYOKH-tuh DAW-luh | Member of Dáil Éireann | MP / US Representative |
| Seanadóir | shan-uh-DOHR | Member of Seanad Éireann | Member of the House of Lords / US Senator (roughly) |
| Ceann Comhairle | kyown KOR-luh | Chair of the Dáil | Speaker of the House |
| Uachtarán | OOKH-tuh-rawn | President of Ireland, head of State | Head of State (not the US-style President) |
| Aire | AR-uh | A Minister who heads a department | Cabinet Minister / Secretary |
| Aire Stáit | AR-uh stawt | Minister of State, a junior Minister | Junior Minister |
| Oireachtas | UR-okh-tas | The parliament: President, Dáil and Seanad | Parliament / Congress |
| Dáil Éireann | doyl AIR-un | The lower house | House of Commons / House of Representatives |
| Seanad Éireann | SHAN-ad AIR-un | The upper house | House of Lords / US Senate (roughly) |
The Government
The Government is the group of Ministers the Taoiseach leads, and it is different from the Oireachtas, which is parliament as a whole. In Ireland “the Government” is capitalised and means the Cabinet, not the state.What is the Oireachtas?.
The Government has between seven and 15 members. The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance must be TDs. A Minister of State is not a member of the Cabinet.Who is the Prime Minister of Ireland?
The Dáil and the Seanad
TDs are directly elected by voters. Senators are elected by panels and graduates of certain universities, and the Taoiseach nominates 11. The Dáil has 174 seats and the Seanad has 60.How many TDs in Ireland?.
For a longer list of terms used in debates, see the glossary.Irish political glossary.
How to say them
Irish titles are used in English-language news without translation. Here is an approximate English pronunciation for each.
- Taoiseachsay “TEE-shukh”
- Prime minister and head of the Government.
- Tánaistesay “TAW-nish-tuh”
- Deputy prime minister.
- Teachta Dálasay “TCHOCK-tuh DAW-luh”
- A member of the Dáil, shortened to TD.
- Ceann Comhairlesay “kyown KOHR-luh”
- Chair of the Dáil, like a Speaker.
- Cathaoirleachsay “KA-heer-lukh”
- Chair of the Seanad.
- Seanadóirsay “SHAN-a-dore”
- A Senator, a member of the Seanad.
- Uachtaránsay “OOKH-ta-rawn”
- The President of Ireland.
- Oireachtassay “ER-ukh-tus”
- The national parliament: the President and both Houses.
Titles people often confuse
Common assumption: The President is the Irish prime minister.
In fact: The Taoiseach is the prime minister. The President is head of State with mostly ceremonial powers.
Common assumption: Oireachtas and Dáil mean the same thing.
In fact: The Dáil is one House. The Oireachtas is the whole parliament: the President, the Dáil and the Seanad.
Common assumption: A Minister of State is a senior Minister.
In fact: A Minister of State is a junior Minister working in a department under a senior Minister.