The 12th Seanad was in office from 1969 to 1973. An election to Seanad Éireann, the Senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1969 general election to the 19th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 13th Seanad in 1973.

Composition of the 12th Seanad

There are a total of 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels, 6 were elected from two university constituencies and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach. The following table shows the composition by party when the 12th Seanad first met on 5 November 1969.

Cathaoirleach

On 5 November 1969, Michael Yeats (FF) was proposed for the position of Cathaoirleach by Thomas Mullins (FF) and seconded by John J. Nash (FF). He was elected with Mary Robinson (Ind) and Owen Sheehy-Skeffington (Ind) dissenting. On 12 November 1969, James Dooge (FG) was proposed for the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach by Michael O'Higgins (FG) and seconded by Charles McDonald (FG). He was elected unopposed. On 1 January 1973, Yeats resigned as Cathaoirleach on his appointment as a member of the Irish delegation in the European Parliament. On 1 January 1973, in the election of a new Cathaoirleach, Micheál Cranitch (FF) was proposed Thomas Mullins (FF) and seconded by Kit Ahern (FF). James Dooge was proposed by Michael O'Higgins (FG) and seconded by Charles McDonald (FG). Cranitch was elected by a vote of 28 to 14.

List of senators

Changes