The Constitution of Ireland requires a general election for Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), to take place no later than ninety days after the dissolution of the Dáil.

There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 are elected on five vocational panels by serving politicians; 6 are elected in two university constituencies; and 11 are nominated by the Taoiseach who is appointed after the assembly of the 34th Dáil.

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

At the next Seanad general election, they will be replaced by a new Higher Education constituency.

This table shows the political composition of the 27th Seanad at the start of its term and after the resignation of Martin Conway from Fine Gael ^ +: New senator.