Independent politicians contest elections without the support of a political party.
In the first inter-party government (1948–1951), James Dillon served as Minister for Agriculture.
He was an independent TD, having left Fine Gael in 1942 because he disagreed with the policy of neutrality during World War II.
In 2009, Mary Harney continued as Minister for Health as an independent member of the government after the dissolution of the Progressive Democrats, and served until 2011.
At the 2024 local elections, independents won 178 of the 949 seats on city and county councils.