Committees of the Oireachtas

Committees of the Oireachtas are committees and sub-committees and select committees of Dáil Éireann and Joint Committees of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, that are small groups of TDs and senators of the Oireachtas, the parliament of the Republic of Ireland. Some committees are formed by statute after every general election, others are formed by agreement for a full parliamentary term or for a specific issue on a time-limited basis. Committees are formed on a proportional basis from members of the political parties/groups in each house. Chairs of committees are granted a stipend for their work. Some committees scrutinise the work and proposed legislation from specific government departments, and senior ministers or junior ministers of state as well as public servants or representatives of semi-state bodies and organisations supported by state funding are also regularly invited to address such committees.

The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of Ireland, comprising the President of Ireland and two houses: Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate). Within this parliamentary structure, committees play a crucial role in the legislative process, oversight, and scrutiny of government activities. These committees are established to examine various aspects of policy, legislation, and governmental operations in greater detail than would be possible in the full houses.