The group was established in May 2016 after the election of the
25th Seanad, initially by
independent senators
Alice-Mary Higgins,
Frances Black,
Lynn Ruane and
John Dolan, along with
Grace O'Sullivan of the
Green Party.
Colette Kelleher joined the group after being
nominated to the Seanad by the
Taoiseach,
Enda Kenny. All six were first-time senators. O'Sullivan said the group members "share an activist background and will be pursuing
progressive policy". The Civil Engagement group is separate from the "Independent group", a technical group long established within the Seanad. Seanad technical groups do not mirror those in the Dáil; while O'Sullivan joined the Civil Engagement group in the 25th Seanad, in the
32nd Dáil, for example, Green Party
TDs sat with the
Social Democrats to form a group for speaking time. Three of the six members of the technical group did not return to the
26th Seanad, beginning with the Green Party's O'Sullivan election to the
European Parliament in the
2019 European Parliament elections for the
South constituency. Dolan was not re-elected, and Kelleher did not seek re-election.
Taoiseach's nominee Eileen Flynn joined the group on her appointment, bringing the group's parliamentary representation up to four. All four senators were re-elected to the Seanad in
2025, but this time Flynn won her seat on the
Administrative Panel. == Composition ==