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A 'Teachta Dála' () is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Oireachtas (Parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. The official translation of Teachta Dála is ''Deputy to the Dáil'',^[1] a more literal translation is
''Assembly Delegate''. In English the abbreviation 'TD' is normally used, with TDs as the plural ().
The term was first used to describe Irish parliamentarians elected in the 1918 general election who, rather than attending the British House of Commons in London, to which they had been elected, assembled instead in Dublin's Mansion House 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 (1922–1937), and the Dáil Éireann (or the "House of Representatives") of the Republic of Ireland.

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Style

See also

References

Style

The initials "TD" are placed after the surname of the elected TD. For example, the current Taoiseach (head of government) is "Bertie Ahern, TD". The style used to refer to individual TDs during debates in Dáil Éireann is the member's name preceded by ''Deputy'' (): for example, "Deputy Kenny", ''"an Teachta Ó Cionnaith"''.

See also

★ Dáil Éireann

★ List of longest-serving members of Dáil Éireann

★ List of Irish politicians

References

1. Deputy to Dáil Éireann - Teachta Dála – Houses of the Oireachtas website