[a][1][2] The Constitution of Ireland provides that a Seanad election must take place within 90 days of the dissolution of the Dáil Éireann.

[3] On 15 November 2024, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, signed an order for the Seanad elections, providing 29 January as the deadline for ballots in the university constituencies and 30 January as the deadline for ballots for the vocational panels.

[8] This legislation was enacted in response to the judgment of the Supreme Court in Heneghan v Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (2023).

[15] On 18 December, it was reported that outgoing Green Party senators Róisín Garvey and Vincent P. Martin, as well as Sinn Féin's Fintan Warfield would not be contesting the elections for the new Seanad.

[16] Green Party Minister of State and senator Pippa Hackett and Fine Gael's John McGahon said they would be taking a step back from politics.

[17] A fourth Green Party senator Pauline O'Reilly also confirmed she would not be returning to the Seanad.

[18] Despite initially ruling himself out of a continued career in politics, Fine Gael senator Seán Kyne later confirmed he would contest the election.

[19] To facilitate the transfer of fractional surpluses, each valid ballot paper for the vocational panels is given a value of 1,000.