16th Dáil
The 16th Dáil was elected at the 1957 general election on 5 March 1957 and met on 20 March 1957. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas of Ireland, are known as TDs. It sat with the 9th Seanad as the two Houses of the Oireachtas.
The 16th Dáil saw a change of Taoiseach from Éamon de Valera to Seán Lemass in June 1959. On 8 September 1961, President Éamon de Valera dissolved the Dáil on the request of Taoiseach Seán Lemass. The 16th Dáil lasted.
Composition of the 16th Dáil
In line with its policy of abstentionism, the Sinn Féin TDs did not take their seats.Fianna Fáil, denoted with a bullet formed the 8th government of Ireland led by Éamon de Valera as Taoiseach. Following de Valera's election as president of Ireland in June 1959, Seán Lemass formed the 9th government of Ireland.