- Have you ever wondered what the difference between the Dáil and the Seanad is?
- Or how your local council is run or what the role of a local councillor or TD involves.
- Or perhaps, you would like to better understand Irish politics?
Women only make up 19% of Cork City Council and only 23% of the Dáil. In 2023 there is only one female TD from Cork in the Dáil. The time for lots more women from Cork in local and national politics is now. We need #MoreWomen, like you, to get involved.
Introduction to Irish Political Systems and Structures is a training session designed to provide attendees with a foundational understanding of how the Irish political system works.
This session will cover the functions of the Dáil and the Seanad to the development of parliamentary committees. The trainer will walk you through the stages of how legislation is passed and the role each house of the Oireachtas plays in these stages.
This training session will demystify and breakdown the Irish political system and structures, so that you can be informed if you make the decision to run for political life/when you take your seat in the Oireachtas.
Pat Montague
Pat Montague is an advocacy and strategy consultant working exclusively with the not-for-profit sector including trade union, charities and campaign groups. His involvement in campaigning began as a student in the late 1970s and he has been engaged in the field professionally since the mid-1980s. In addition to his work as a campaigning practitioner, Pat also has a strong academic track record in the field. He has a 1st Class Honours Masters in Political Communication from DCU and taught modules on electoral campaigning on that Masters for nearly a decade and still lectures and trains extensively in the field including with Women for Election.
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His involvement in campaigning began as a student in the late 1970s and he has been engaged in the field professionally since the mid-1980s, setting up his own consultancy nearly 30 years ago and winning many awards for his work around the introduction of the Smoking Ban, the Older & Bolder campaign for equality for older people and many union campaigns too. He is currently leading a campaign for redress for the tens of thousands of people living in apartments that are affected by fire and other defects.
In addition to his work as a campaigning practitioner, Pat also has a strong academic track record in the field. He has a 1st Class Honours Masters in Political Communication from DCU and taught modules on electoral campaigning on that Masters for nearly a decade and still lectures and trains extensively in the field including with Women for Election.