Mayo Sinn Fein TD to chair Committee on Defence and National Security

Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh has been announced as the new Chairperson of the new Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security.

Sinn Féin announced the seven names of the chairpersons of the Oireachtas committees it will take charge of, including the powerful Public Accounts Committee.

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Erris-based TD Rose Conway-Walsh will chair the newly formed Oireachtas committee on Defence and National Security which is expected to probe cyber safeguards in Irish institutions.

As the largest opposition party, Sinn Féin will chair the Public Accounts Committee with Wicklow TD John Brady chosen to chair it. The party will chair a total of seven committees with Galway TD Mairéad Farrell to chair the Committee on Finance.

Chair positions are chosen by parties using the complex D’Hondt system, which allocates a certain number of positions to them according to their Dáil representation. The chairs of the new committees will receive a €10,000 salary top-up.

Fianna Fáil TDs will chair eight of the 28 committees while seven Fine Gael TDs including Mayo TD Keira Keogh will chair committees. Deputy Keogh will chair the Committee on Children and Equality.