Parliamentary Assistant

As a Parliamentary Assistant, you provide research, administrative and communications support to a Teachta Dála (TD) or Senator working in and around Leinster House. Your daily work involves drafting correspondence, preparing briefing notes, monitoring legislation, and following debates in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. You liaise with constituents, government departments, public bodies and other political offices on behalf of the officeholder, helping to manage both parliamentary and constituency casework. You also assist with press releases, social media content and communications to keep the public informed of the politician's work.

Most Parliamentary Assistants hold an NFQ Level 8 Honours Bachelor degree, typically in areas such as Politics, Law, Public Administration, History, Economics or Communications, available at universities such as UCD, TCD, DCU, University of Galway and Maynooth. Leaving Certificate subjects that strengthen your application include Politics & Society, History, English and Business Studies, which develop the analytical and communication skills central to the role. Some entrants come through a Level 7 degree in Public Administration or Social Science before gaining experience and moving into parliamentary work. There is no statutory professional registration body for this role, though a solid grounding in Irish political institutions, legislative processes and public policy is highly valued by employers. Postgraduate study at NFQ Level 9 in areas such as Public Policy, Law or European Politics can improve competitiveness for more senior research roles within parliament. Practical experience through internships with political parties, think-tanks or advocacy organisations is also highly regarded.