Irish Government

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Irish Government
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Oireachtas Éireann

• The Oireachtas (parliament) consists of
• The President of Ireland
• The two Houses of the Oireachtas
• Dáil Éireann (Lower)
• Seanad Éireann (Upper)
• The Houses of the Oireachtas sit in Leinster
  House in Dublin, an eighteenth century palace.
• The Dáil is by far the most powerful branch of
  the Oireachtas.
• The Oireachtas is the Legislative Branch of
  government

Leinster House, the seat of both Houses of the
Oireachtas.
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Dail Eireann

• Dáil Éireann has 166 members, elected at least
  once every five years by the people of the
  Republic of Ireland.
• Membership of the Dáil is open to citizens who
  are 21 or older.
• A member of the Dáil is known as a Teachta Dála
  (TD), or deputy.
• The Taoiseach can, by making a request to the
  president, dissolve the Dáil at any time. A
  general election must occur within thirty days.
• Currently every constituency elects between three
  and five TDs.
• Constituency boundaries are reviewed and, if
  necessary, redrawn at least once in every twelve
  years, to accommodate changes in population.

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Electing the Dail

• Single transferable vote (STV) is a preferential
  voting system designed to minimize wasted votes
  and provide proportional representation while
  ensuring that votes are explicitly for candidates
  rather than party lists.
• It achieves this by using multi-seat
  constituencies (districts) and by transferring
  votes that would otherwise be wasted.
• STV initially allocates an individual's vote to
  his or her most preferred candidate, and then
  subsequently transfers unneeded or unused votes
  after candidates are either elected or
  eliminated, according to the voter's stated
  preferences.

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STV Example

• Need to elect 3 new board members to the AICS.
• There are 5 candidates
• Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and Animal
• 20 members at the general vote their preference,
  first through fifth.
• The Droop quota is used to determine the quota
  require for election
• Quota (Votes / (Number of Seats 1)) 1
• Quota (20/(31)) 1 6
• Quota for election is 6

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• First Count Kermit is elected with 12 first
  preference votes. The quota is 6.
• Second Count Kermits 6 surplus votes transfer
  to the second choice preferences (Fozzi 4
  Gonzo 2).
• However, even with the transfer no candidate has
  reached the quota.
• Therefore Animal, who has the fewest votes, is
  eliminated.
• Third Count Animals votes transfer to their
  second preference, Miss Piggy, causing Miss Piggy
  to reach the quota and be elected.
• Miss Piggy barely meets the quota, and therefore
  has no surplus to transfer.
• Fourth Count Neither of the remaining candidates
  meet the quota, so Gonzo is eliminated.
• Fozzi is the only remaining candidate and so
  wins the final seat.

Result The winners are Chocolate, Oranges and
Strawberries.
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Seanad Éireann

• Seanad Éireann (Senate of Ireland), also known
  unofficially as the Senate, is the upper house of
  the Oireachtas (parliament) of Ireland.
• Seanad Éireann consists of sixty members
• Unlike the lower house, Dáil Éireann, the Senate
  is not directly elected but consists of a mixture
  of members chosen by various methods.
• It plays an advisory and revising role rather
  than to be the equal of the popularly elected
  Dáil.
• While every Act of the Oireachtas must receive
  its assent, it can only delay rather than veto
  decisions of the Dáil.
• In practice the Senate has an in-build government
  majority due to the Taoiseach's nominees.

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Selecting a Senate

• Eleven appointed by the Taoiseach.
• Six elected by the graduates of certain Irish
  universities
• Three by graduates of the University of Dublin.
• Three by graduates of the National University of
  Ireland.
• 43 elected from five special panels of nominees
  (known as vocational panels) by an electorate
  consisting of TDs (member of Dáil Éireann),
  senators and local councillors.
• Nomination is restrictive for the panel seats
  with only Oireachtas members and designated
  'nominating bodies' entitled to nominate.
• Each of the five panels consists, in theory, of
  individuals possessing special knowledge of, or
  experience in, one of five specific fields
• Cultural and Educational Panel Education, the
  arts, the Irish language and Irish culture and
  literature.
• Agricultural Panel Agriculture and the
  fisheries.
• Labour Panel Labour (organised or otherwise).
• Industrial and Commercial Panel Industry and
  commerce (including engineering and
  architecture).
• Administrative Panel Public administration and
  social services (including the voluntary sector).
  
• A modified (1000X, with fractions counting)
  Single Transfer Vote (STV) is also used

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Executive Branch

• The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that
  exercises executive authority in Ireland.
• The Government is headed by the Taoiseach (prime
  minister), and the Tánaiste (deputy prime
  minister).
• The Taoiseach is appointed by the President after
  being designated by Dáil Éireann (the lower house
  of parliament).
• The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance
  must all be members of the Dáil.
• The President then appoints the remaining members
  of the Government - after they have been chosen
  by the Taoiseach and approved by the Dáil.
• The Government must enjoy the confidence of the
  Dáil if it is to remain in office.
• The constitution of the Government must consist
  of between seven and fifteen members.
• Every member of the Government must be a member
  of the Oireachtas (parliament), and no more than
  two members may be chosen from the Senate (the
  upper house of parliament).

Brian Cowen Taoiseach
Mary Coughlan Tanaiste
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Judicial Branch

• The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, the
  High Court and many lower courts established by
  law.
• Judges are appointed by the President after being
  nominated by the Government and can be removed
  from office only for misbehaviour or incapacity,
  and then only by resolution of both houses of the
  Oireachtas.
• The final court of appeal is the Supreme Court,
  which consists of the Chief Justice and seven
  other justices.
• The Supreme Court has the power of judicial
  review and may declare to be invalid both laws
  and acts of the state which are repugnant to the
  constitution.

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Political Groups

• Fianna Fáil The Republican Party is currently
  the largest political party.
• It is currently the leading party in a coalition
  government with the Green Party and the
  Progressive Democrats, which also has the support
  of three Independent TDs.
• Fine Gael The United Ireland Party, is the
  second largest political party in the Republic of
  Ireland, and is the largest opposition party in
  the Oireachtas.
• The Labour Party is a democratic socialist and
  social democratic political party. It holds 20 of
  the 166 seats in Dáil Éireann and is the
  third-largest political party in the State.
• Independents - After the Irish general election
  in 2007, there were five Independent TDs in Dáil
  Éireann, 3 of the total.
• Four of these Independents signed agreements to
  support the current Irish government.
• Progressive Democrats, PDs, are a free market
  liberal party. Founded in 1985, it adopts liberal
  positions on economic issues. It served in
  government for long periods since its foundation,
  always with Fianna Fáil, the party from which
  many of its founding members originated. It is
  currently in coalition government with Fianna
  Fáil and the Green Party
• Green Party is a green political party in
  Ireland.
• Sinn Féin is a left wing political party, led by
  Gerry Adams. The party is the 5th largest in the
  Dail and the 2nd largest in the Northern Ireland
  Assembly

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Coalition Government

• Current Government is a coalition of Fianna Fail,
  PD, Green Party and Independents
• 2 of the 15 cabinet members are a PD TD and a
  Green Party TD
• Current TD (84 for a Dail majority)
• Fianna Fáil 77
• Fine Gael 51
• Labour Party 20
• Green Party 6
• Sinn Féin 4
• Progressive Democrats 2
• Independent 5
• Ceann Comhairle 1

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President of Ireland

• Uachtarán na hÉireann (President of Ireland) is
  the head of state of Ireland.
• President Mary McAleese took office on 10
  November 1997
• The presidency is largely a ceremonial office,
  but the President does exercise certain limited
  powers at his/her absolute discretion.
• The office was established by the Constitution of
  Ireland in 1937.
• The President's official residence is Áras an
  Uachtaráin in Dublin.
• Mary McAleese is the 8th president and 2nd woman
  president.
• Mary Robinson preceded, served one term and is
  the only living former president. She went on to
  become the 2nd UN High Commissioner for Human
  rights (97-03).
• 4 presidents served two terms, the max. Mary
  McAleese is one of the 4.

Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of
the President.
Mary McAleese President of Ireland.
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Electing a President

• The President is (generally) formally elected by
  the people once every seven years, unless
• An election must be held within sixty days of a
  premature vacancy.
• Where only one candidate is nominated, he or she
  is deemed elected without the need for a ballot.
• Where there is a consensus among political
  parties not to have a contest, the President may
  be 'elected' without the occurrence of an actual
  ballot.
• Since the establishment of the office, in 1937,
  this has occurred on six occasions.
• The President is directly elected by secret
  ballot under the Alternative Vote form of the
  Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, same
  process as the Dail.
• The president can serve a maximum of two terms.
• The presidency is open to all citizens of the
  state who are at least 35 years of age.
• A candidate is nominated by one of the following
• At least twenty members of the Oireachtas.
• At least four county or city councils.
• Themselves (in the case of an incumbent or former
  president that has served one term).

Official Seal of the President of Ireland
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Presidents Succession

• The President of Ireland has no vice president.
• In the event of a premature vacancy a successor
  must be elected within sixty days.
• In the interim the duties and functions of the
  office are carried out by a collective
  vice-presidency known as the Presidential
  Commission, consisting of the Chief Justice, the
  Ceann Comhairle (speaker) of Dáil Éireann, and
  the Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of the Senate.
• Since 1937 the Presidential Commission has taken
  the place of the President on a number of
  occasions.
• The term of office expires at midnight on the day
  before the new president's inauguration.
  Therefore, between midnight and the inauguration
  the following day the presidential duties and
  functions are carried out by the Presidential
  Commission.
• The Council of State (a Presidential advisory
  council, established by the constutution) is the
  third in the line of succession. However, to
  date, it has never been necessary.

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The 8 Presidents
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Presidents Role

• The Constitution of Ireland provides for a
  parliamentary system of government, under which
  the role of the head of state is largely a
  ceremonial one.
• The Government is obliged to keep the President
  informed on matters of domestic and foreign
  policy.
• Most of the functions of the President may only
  be carried out in accordance with the strict
  instructions of the Constitution, or the binding
  'advice' of the Government.
• The President appoints the Government
• The Taoiseach is appointed upon the nomination of
  Dáil Éireann and the remainder of the cabinet
  upon the nomination of the Taoiseach and approval
  of the Dáil.
• Ministers are dismissed on the advice of the
  Taoiseach and the Taoiseach must, unless there is
  a dissolution of the Dáil, resign upon losing the
  confidence of the house.
• On the advice of the Government, the President
  also appoints members of the judiciary.
• Convenes and dissolves Dáil Éireann
• This power is exercised on the advice of the
  Taoiseach.
• The President may only refuse a dissolution when
  a Taoiseach has lost the confidence of Dáil
  Éireann. The Taoiseach is then obliged to resign
• Happened in 1982 with the dissolution of the Fine
  Gael Labour coalition

The presidential flag
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Presidents Role

• Represents the state in foreign affairs This
  power is exercised only on the advice of the
  Government. The President accredits ambassadors
  and receives the letters of credence of foreign
  diplomats. Ministers sign international treaties
  in the President's name.
• Is supreme commander of the Defence Forces,
  somewhat similar in statute to that of a
  commander-in-chief. This is a nominal position,
  the powers of which are exercised on the advice
  of the Government.
• Power of pardon The President, on the advice of
  the Government, has "the right of pardon and the
  power to commute or remit punishment".
• The President may not leave the state without the
  consent of the Government.
• Every formal address or message "to the nation"
  or to either or both Houses of the Oireachtas
  must have prior approval of the Government. Other
  than on these two (quite rare) occasions there is
  no limitation on the President's right to speak.
• Presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese have
  made much more use of their right to speak
  without government approval, with Mary McAleese
  doing many live radio and television interviews.
  Nonetheless, by convention Presidents refrain
  from direct criticism of the government.

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Presidents Role

• Signs bills into law The president is formally
  one of three tiers of the Oireachtas. The
  President may not, unless exercising one of
  his/her reserve powers, veto a law that the Dáil
  and the Senate have adopted.
• If requested to do so by a petition signed by a
  majority of the membership of the Senate, and
  one-third of the membership of the Dáil, the
  President may, after consultation with the
  Council of State, decline to sign into law a bill
  (other than a bill to amend the constitution)
  he/she considers to be of great "national
  importance" until it has been approved by either
  the people in an ordinary referendum or the Dáil
  reassembling after a general election, held
  within eight months. This power has never been
  used due to the fact that the government almost
  always commands a majority of the senate
  preventing the third of Dáil Éireann that usually
  makes up the opposition from combining with it.
• Reference of bills to the Supreme Court The
  President may, upon consultation with the Council
  of State, refer a bill to the Supreme Court to
  test its constitutionality. The Supreme Court
  then tests its constitutionality and the
  President may not sign the bill into law if it is
  found to be unconstitutional. This is the most
  widely used reserve power and was indeed used by
  six of the eight presidents (most frequently by
  presidents Patrick Hillery and Mary Robinson),
  but this power may not be applied to a money
  bill, a bill to amend the Constitution, or an
  urgent bill the time for the consideration of
  which has been abridged in the Senate.
• Abridgement of the time for bills in the Senate
  The President may, at the request of Dáil
  Éireann, and after consultation with the Council
  of State, impose a time-limit on the period
  during which the Senate may consider a bill. The
  effect of this power is to restrict the power of
  the Senate to delay a bill that the Government
  considers urgent.
• Appointment of a Committee of Privileges The
  President may, if requested to do so by the
  Senate, and upon consultation with the Council of
  State, establish a Committee of Privileges to
  solve a dispute between the two Houses of the
  Oireachtas (parliament) as to whether or not a
  bill is a money bill.11
• Address to the Oireachtas The President may,
  upon consultation with the Council of State, and
  provided the text is approved by the Government,
  address, or send a message to, either or both
  Houses of the Oireachtas. This power has been
  invoked on four occasions by President de Valera
  once, by President Robinson twice, and by
  President McAleese once, on the eve of the year
  2000.
• Address to the Nation The President may, upon
  consultation with the Council of State, and
  provided the text has been approved by the
  Government, address, or send a message to, the
  'nation'. This power has been used twice, by
  Erskine Childers in 1974, and by President
  McAleese in 2001.
• Convention of meetings of the Oireachtas The
  President may, upon consultation with the Council
  of State, convene a meeting of either or both
  Houses of the Oireachtas. This power would allow
  the President to step in if, in extraordinary
  circumstances, the ordinary procedures for
  convening the houses had broken down.