Teachta Dála
A
Teachta Dála –
Irish for "assembly delegate" and pronounced
tyOCH-ta DAW-la – is a member (or Deputy) of
Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the
Oireachtas (Parliament) of the
Republic of Ireland. In
English the abbreviation
TD is normally used, with TDs as the plural (the full form of which in Irish is
Teachtaí Dála).
The term was first used to describe those
Members of Parliament (MPs) from the island of
Ireland elected in the
1918 general election who, rather than attending the
Westminster House of Commons to which they had been elected, assembled instead in
Dublin 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 and the Dáil Éireann (or the "
House of Representatives") of
Ireland.
The initials "TD" are placed after the surname of the elected TD. For example, the current
Taoiseach (prime minister) is referred to as "Bertie Ahern, TD". The
style used to refer to individual TDs during debates in Dáil Éireann is the member's name preceded by
Deputy (or
an Teachta in Irish): for example, "Deputy Quinn", "an Teachta Carey".
*
Dáil Éireann*
List of longest-serving members of Dáil Éireann*
List of Irish politicians*
:Category:Teachtaí Dála*
:Category:Former Teachtaí Dála
