Fianna Fáil Front Bench
is the second largest political party in the Oireachtas. On 12 April 2011 party leader Micheál Martin appointed his second front bench, consisting of all 20 of the party's Teachtaí Dála and one local councillor, to be spokespersons on areas corresponding to the various government departments. This was the second front bench appointed by Martin in 10 weeks: on 31 January 2011 he had appointed a team of TDs, senators, councillors and Fianna Fáil election candidates as party spokespersons on different issues in advance of the 2011 general election campaign.
In that campaign six sitting front bench TDs, including the deputy leader Mary Hanafin, were not re-elected. Positions also reflected the restructuring of government departments by the incoming Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition.
In May 2016 Martin announced his third front bench.
Overview
is the largest opposition party in the Dáil and therefore that party's leader takes the title Leader of the Opposition, a largely nominal role. The other parties that occupy the opposition benches include Sinn Féin and the United Left Alliance.The "Official Opposition" is viewed as the party tasked with keeping the government in check. It is also generally viewed as the alternative government. The Official Opposition maintains a Front bench of TDs that often have the same portfolios as actual ministers. They are known as opposition "spokespersons".
The title of "the Opposition" is held by the largest party in Dáil Éireann which is not in government, and sometimes the Opposition may even be the largest party in the Dáil. The latter situation almost always occurred when Fianna Fáil were in opposition. This is due to the existence of the multi-party system where Fine Gael usually forms a coalition with the Labour Party.
Fianna Fáil Front Bench 2016–2020
Dáil Éireann
| Portfolio | Name |
| Leader of Fianna Fáil Leader of the Opposition | Micheál Martin |
| Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil Rural and Community Development Director of Policy Development | Dara Calleary |
| Opposition Chief Whip | Michael Moynihan |
| Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Charlie McConalogue |
| Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | Niamh Smyth |
| Children and Youth Affairs | Anne Rabbitte |
| Communications, Climate Action and Environment | Jack Chambers |
| Defence | Jack Chambers |
| Disability | Margaret Murphy O'Mahony |
| Dublin | John Lahart |
| Education and Skills | Thomas Byrne |
| Housing, Planning and Local Government | Darragh O'Brien |
| Finance | Michael McGrath |
| Foreign Affairs and Trade | Seán Haughey |
| Health | Stephen Donnelly |
| Business, Enterprise and Innovation | Robert Troy |
| Justice and Equality | Jim O'Callaghan |
| Mental Health | James Browne |
| Public Expenditure and Reform | Barry Cowen |
| Employment Affairs and Social Protection | Willie O'Dea |
| Transport, Tourism and Sport | Marc MacSharry |
| Brexit | Lisa Chambers |
Seanad Éireann
| Portfolio | Name |
| Seanad Group Leader Employment Affairs and Social Protection | Catherine Ardagh |
| Seanad Deputy Group Leader Foreign Affairs, Irish Overseas and the Diaspora | Mark Daly |
| Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Paul Daly |
| Business, Enterprise and Innovation | Aidan Davitt |
| Rural and Community Development | Brian Ó Domhnaill |
| Education | Robbie Gallagher |
| Finance | Gerry Horkan |
| Justice, Children and Youth Affairs | Lorraine Clifford-Lee |
| Communications, Climate Action and Environment | Terry Leyden |
| Housing, Planning and Local Government | Jennifer Murnane O'Connor |
| Without portfolio | Denis O'Donovan |
| Health and Mental Health | Ned O'Sullivan |
| Transport, Tourism and Sport | Keith Swanick |
| Public Expenditure and Reform and Defence | Ned O'Sullivan |