Taoiseach appoints eight Fianna Fáil TDs as Oireachtas committee chairs

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has unveiled the list of Fianna Fáil TDs appointed to chair various Oireachtas committees, marking a significant step in the post-election parliamentary restructuring. This development follows a prolonged delay of over four months in committee allocations, primarily due to disputes stemming from the Dáil speaking-time controversy.

Fianna Fáil’s Committee Leadership

The eight Fianna Fáil TDs designated to lead Oireachtas committees are:

• Seán Fleming (Laois) – Chair of the Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery
• Cormac Devlin – Chair of the Good Friday Agreement Committee
• John Lahart (Dublin South-West) – Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Cathal Crowe (Clare) – Chair of the Committee on Education and Youth
• Aindrias Moynihan (Cork) – Chair of the Agriculture and Food Committee
• James O’Connor (Cork) – Chair of the Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Committee
• Erin McGreehan – Chair of the Committee on Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
• Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford) – Chair of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence

Broader Committee Allocations

Beyond Fianna Fáil, other political parties have also received committee chair positions:

• Fine Gael’s Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire) will chair the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs.
• Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath) will lead the Oireachtas Committee on Housing.
• Michael Murphy (Tipperary South) is appointed to chair the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport.

Sinn Féin is set to chair several key committees, including Finance, Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Public Accounts, Defence and National Security, Disability Matters, Petitions, and Fisheries.

The Labour Party will oversee the Traveller Community Committee and the Oireachtas Committee on Media and Arts.

The Social Democrats, having secured eligibility for a second chairing role, will lead the Health and Drug Use committees. Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon will chair the Committee on Drug Use, while Cork South Central TD Pádraig Rice will head the Health Committee.

Independent TD Catherine Connolly is nominated to chair the Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language.

The Independent Technical Group will chair the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, whereas the Regional Independent TDs have opted not to pursue any chairperson positions.