A Teachta Dála ( /ˌtjɒxtə ˈdɔːlə/ TYOKH-tə DAW-lə, Irish: [ˌtʲaxt̪ˠə ˈd̪ˠaːlˠa] ⓘ;[1] plural Teachtaí Dála), abbreviated as TD (plural TDanna in Irish,[2] TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland.
Under the Constitution, the total number of TDs must be fixed at one TD for each 20,000 to 30,000 of the population.
The outgoing Ceann Comhairle is automatically returned unless they announce their retirement before the dissolution of the Dáil.
Members of the judiciary, the Garda Síochána, and the Permanent Defence Forces are disqualified from membership of the Dáil.
[13] After controversy regarding alleged abuses of the Oireachtas expenses provisions, the system was simplified in 2009 and 2010 into two allowances:[14][15][16][17]