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Bicameralism in Ireland

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The Oireachtas is among the 41% of parliaments worldwide that have two chambers. Parliaments that have two chambers are referred to as bicameral. Ireland has a long history of bicameralism.

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    The Great Parliament of Ireland 1790

    The Great Parliament of Ireland 1790 / Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

    Before 1800

    The Parliament of Ireland, which was abolished by the Act of Union in 1800, had a House of Commons and a House of Lords.

    Bicameralism across the world

    Out of 193 countries in the world, 79 are bicameral and 113 are unicameral, making a total of 272 chambers of parliament with over 46,000 members of parliament.

    Further reading

    Read more about how Seanad Éireann sits within the global family of second chambers in this Spotlight from the Library & Research Service.

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