Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)

Encyclopedia : O : OP : OPP : Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)

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The Opposition Front Bench in the Republic of Ireland is a group of senior parliamentary opposition Teachtaí Dála who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's. These members are assigned a particular portfolio and mark each individual member of the government. Members of the Opposition are often but not always appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government.

Fine Gael is the largest opposition party in the Dáil and therefore that party's leader takes the title Leader of the Opposition, a largely nominal role. The other parties that occupy the opposition benches include the Labour Party, Sinn Féin, the Green Party and the Socialist Party.

The "Official Opposition" is viewed as the party tasked with keeping the government in check. It is also generally viewed as the alternative government. The Official Opposition maintains a Front bench of Teachtaí Dála (TDs) that often have the same portfolios as actual ministers. They are known as opposition "spokespersons".

The title of "the Opposition" is held by the largest party in Dáil Éireann which is not in government, and sometimes the Opposition may even be the largest party in the Dáil. The latter situation almost always occurs when Fianna Fáil are in opposition. This is due to the existence of the multi-party system where Fine Gael usually forms a coalition with the Labour Party.

Official Opposition		Years
	Labour Party	1922-1927
#66BB66>	Fianna Fáil	1927-1932
#6699FF>	Cumann na nGaedhael	1932-1933
#6699FF>	Fine Gael	1933-1948
#66BB66>	Fianna Fáil	1948-1951
#6699FF>	Fine Gael	1951-1954
#66BB66>	Fianna Fáil	1954-1957
#6699FF>	Fine Gael	1957-1973
#66BB66>	Fianna Fáil	1973-1977
#6699FF>	Fine Gael	1977-1981
#66BB66>	Fianna Fáil	1981-1982
#6699FF>	Fine Gael	1982
#66BB66>	Fianna Fáil	1982-1987
#6699FF>	Fine Gael	1987-1994
#66BB66>	Fianna Fáil	1994-1997
#6699FF>	Fine Gael	1997-

Opposition Front Bench

Front Bench Spokespersons

Portfolio	Opposition Spokesperson
Leader of the Opposition Spokesperson on Northern Ireland	Enda Kenny	(2002–)
Deputy-Leader of the Opposition Spokesperson on Finance	Richard Bruton	(2002–)
Spokesperson on Justice & Law Reform	Jim O'Keeffe	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs	Bernard Allen	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Phil Hogan	(2002–)
Spokesperson on Health & Children	Liam Twomey	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Marine	John Perry	(2004–)
Spokesperson on the Environment, Heritage & Local Government	Fergus O'Dowd	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Arts, Sport & Tourism	Jimmy Deenihan	(2002–)
Spokesperson on Regional Development & Emigrant Affairs	Paul Connaughton	(2002–)
Spokesperson on Social, Family Affairs & Equality	David Stanton	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Transport	Olivia Mitchell	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs	Dinny McGinley	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Agriculture & Food	Denis Naughten	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Education & Science	Olwyn Enright	(2002–)
Spokesperson on Defence	Billy Timmins	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Communications & Natural Resources	Bernard Durkan	(2004–)
Chief Whip	Paul Kehoe	(2004–)
Spokesperson without portfolio	Michael Noonan	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Dublin	Senator Brian Hayes	(2002–)

Deputy Spokespersons

Portfolio	Deputy Spokesperson
Spokesperson on Health with special responsibility for mental health & children Assistant Chief Whip	Dan Neville	(2002–)
Spokesperson on Finance	Paul McGrath	(2002–)
Spokesperson on Justice & Community Affairs with special responsibility for rugs, Alcohol & Crime Prevention	Damien English	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Justice	Gerard Murphy	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade & Employment with special responsibility for EU Internal Market Development & Small & Medium Enterprises	Pat Breen	(2004–)
Spokesperson on the Environment with special responsibility for Heritage & Rural Affairs	Tom Hayes	(2004–)
Spokesperson on the Environment & Local Government with special responsibility for Urban Renewal & Housing Policy	Pádraic McCormack	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Agriculture	Seymour Crawford	(2004–)
Spokesperson on Transport with special responsibility for Road Safety	Shane McEntee	(2006–)

 

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