Shane Peter Nathaniel Ross (born 11 July 1949) is an independent Irish politician and former Business Editor of the Sunday Independent. He was the longest-serving member of Seanad Éireann (representing the University of Dublin constituency), until he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the constituency of Dublin South in the 2011 general election.

Born in 1949, he is the son of John N. Ross and Ruth Isabel Sherrington. His father was a Senator also, representing the University of Dublin constituency from 1961–65. Ross graduated from University of Dublin in history and political science in 1971. A former stock broker, Ross was Business Editor of the Sunday Independent, Ireland's biggest-selling weekend broadsheet until his election to the Dáil in 2011, when he resigned the post. He is married to Ruth Buchanan, a former presenter and journalist with RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster.

He was first elected to the Seanad in 1981 as an independent candidate for the University of Dublin constituency, and was re-elected on nine occasions since, becoming the longest-serving member of the house.

Alan Dukes (born 20 April 1945) is a former Irish politician who served as leader of the Fine Gael political party and Teachta Dála (TD) for Kildare and Kildare South. He holds the distinction of being one of only five TDs to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. He lost his seat in the 2002 general election. He was subsequently appointed Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs. and chairman of Anglo Irish Bank.

Dukes was born in Drimnagh in 1945. His father, James F. Dukes, was originally from Tralee, County Kerry and was a senior civil servant, the founding Chairman and Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority, while his mother was from near Ballina, County Mayo.

The Dukes family originally came from the north of England. His grandfather had served with the Royal Engineers in World War I, and settled in Cork and then Kerry afterwards where he worked with the Post Office creating Ireland's telephone network. He also developed a keen interest in the Irish language, which is something shared by his grandson.

Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.

Kenny has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Mayo since 1975, having succeeded his father Henry Kenny. He is the longest-serving TD currently in Dáil Éireann, which makes him the incumbent Father of the Dáil.

Kenny led Fine Gael in the 2011 general election. He subsequently brokered an agreement with the Labour Party and formed a coalition government on 9 March 2011. He is Fine Gael's first Taoiseach since John Bruton from 1994 to 1997, and the first Fine Gael leader to win government in an election since Garret FitzGerald in 1982.

Enda Kenny was born in the village of Islandeady near Castlebar, County Mayo in 1951, the third child of five. He was educated locally at St. Patrick's National School in Cornanool and St. Gerald's College (De La Salle) in Castlebar. Kenny subsequently attended St Patrick's College of Education in Dublin and University College Galway. He briefly worked as a primary school teacher, and is a Gaeilgeoir.

Tony Gregory (5 December 1947 – 2 January 2009) was an Irish Independent politician and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Central constituency from 1982 to 2009.

Gregory was born in Ballybough in Dublin's Northside, the second child of Anthony Gregory and Ellen Gregory (née Judge). His mother, born in 1904 in Croghan, County Offaly, moved to Dublin to work as a waitress while his father, born in North Strand Dublin, worked as a warehouseman in Dublin Port. The family originally lived in a one room apartment on Charleville Street. The family applied for housing by Dublin Corporation but were denied with an official saying "come back when you have six [children]". The incident left an impression on Gregory and he would refer to it in interviews later in life. The family were able to later move to a house on Sackville Gardens near the Royal Canal using money they had saved. Gregory won a Dublin Corporation scholarship to Christian Brothers at O'Connell School. He later went on to University College Dublin (UCD), where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree and later a Higher Diploma in Education, funding his degree from summer work at Wall's Ice Cream Factory in Acton, London. Initially working at CBS Synge Street, Gregory later taught at Coláiste Eoin, an Irish language secondary school in Booterstown, where he taught History and French. A number of his students, both at Synge Street and Coláiste Eoin included the future politicians John Crown, Colm Mac Eochaidh, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, the comedian Dara Ó Briain, and musician Liam Ó Maonlaí.

Stephen Donnelly (born 1975) is an Irish independent politician. He was elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency at the 2011 general election. A graduate of University College Dublin (UCD) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Donnelly spent most of his career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company.

He is graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, having complete a Masters’ degree in Public Administration and International Development in 2008.

Donnelly is generally regarded as being centre right and is ideologically linked to the independent TD Shane Ross

Donnelly currently sits in the Dáil Éireann Technical group.