The Daily Star Ireland
The 34th Dáil is set to meet for the first time this morning following the recent election. A total of 174 TDs, including 66 newly elected members, will convene at Leinster House.
The session begins at 10.30am with the Clerk of the Dáil, Peter Finnegan, reading the Proclamation of the Dáil. He will also report on the election writs and announce the names of all TDs.
One of the key events of the day is the election of the Ceann Comhairle. Four TDs are nominated for this position, and the decision will be made through a secret ballot. Each nominee will have five minutes to present their case to the Dáil.
The voting process allows up to three hours for counting, with the result expected by early afternoon. Given the number of candidates, transfers are likely to determine the outcome. The newly elected Ceann Comhairle will be announced at 3pm and will deliver a speech, followed by remarks from Taoiseach Simon Harris and other party leaders.
If there are any nominations for Taoiseach, these will be followed by speeches from the nominators and seconders, and a vote will take place. However, as no government deal has been finalized, it is unlikely that any nominee will secure majority support. Consequently, a date will be set for the Dáil to reconvene in the new year, allowing further time for government formation talks to continue in the coming weeks.
