1. Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Benedict (Viktor) Gombocz

2. Geography of the Republic of Ireland
 Location: Western Europe, taking up five-
sixths of the island of Ireland, west of
Great Britain
 Area
 Total: 70,273 sq km
 Country comparison to the world: 120
 Land: 68,883 sq km
 Water: 1,390 sq km
 Area – comparative: Slightly bigger than
West Virginia
 Land boundaries:
 Total: 360 km
 Border countries: UK 360 km
 Coastline: 1,448 km

3. Physical Map of the Republic of Ireland

4. Religion in the Republic of Ireland
 Christianity, with the Roman Catholic Church having the most
followers, is the biggest religion in Ireland.
 The Irish constitution specifies that the state may not support a
specific religion and promises freedom of religion.
 84.2% of the population identified themselves as Roman
Catholic in 2011; less than 5 years earlier, only 2.6% did so,
even though the number of Catholics increased by 179,889.
 The Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Methodist Church in
Ireland are among other important Protestant denominations.
 The second biggest Christian denomination, the Church of
Ireland (Anglican), lost members for most of the twentieth
century, although it has more recently underwent an increase,
as have other small Christian denominations.
 Ireland’s Hindu and Muslim communities have undergone
enormous growth in recent years, due in large part to
immigration.
 In the 2011 census, 269,811 people (5.9%) belonged to no
religion, with 3,905 and 3,521 people identifying themselves as
“atheist” and “agnostic”, correspondingly.
 Those Irish citizens who did not claim adherence to a religion
numbered 72,914 (1.6%).
 Researchers dispute the relative importance of secularism as a
common characteristic of Irish society, the interpratation of
census effects, and the degree to which religious syncretism is
becoming more prevalent.

5. Religion Statistics
 Roman Catholic 87.4%
 Church of Ireland 2.9%
 Other Christian1.9%
 Other 2.1%
 Unspecified 1.5%
 None 4.2%

6. Introduction to the Republic of Ireland’s political
system
 The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary, representative democratic republic and a member of the EU.
 While the popularly elected President of Ireland serves as the head of state, the President’s role is a
fundamentally ritual post; real power is vested in the indirectly elected Taoiseach (PM) who serves as
head of government.
 The government, which is made up of no more than 15 cabinet ministers, inclusive of the Taoiseach (PM)
and Tánaiste (Deputy PM), exercises executive power.
 Legislative power is vested in the Oireachtas, the country’s bicameral national parliament, which is
grouped of Dáil Éireann, Seanad Éireann, and the President of Ireland.
 The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
 The Chief Justice, who manages the Supreme Court, leads the judiciary.
 While Ireland has numerous political parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, historically opposed and rival
entities which both control the customary centre ground, have ruled the political setting for decades; from
the 1930s until 2011, they were the biggest and second biggest parties, correspondingly, and the origins
of both parties date back to the opposing sides of the Irish Civil War.
 The Labour Party, historically Ireland’s third political party, has only been in power when in coalition with
either of the two main parties.
 2011 saw a significant political shift in Ireland, in which Fine Gael became the biggest party and Labour
became the second biggest party; Fianna Fáil fell to third as a result of loss of support, whereas Sinn Féin
underwent a considerable increase in support.

7. Main office holders
Office Name
 President
 Taoiseach
 Tánaiste
 Michael D. Higgins (Independent,
since 11 November 2011)
 Enda Kenny (Fine Gael, since 9
March 2011)
 Eamon Gilmore (Labour Party,
since 9 March 2011)

8. Government of Ireland
 Capital (and largest city): Dublin
 Official language(s): Irish, English
 Demonym: Irish
 Government: Unitary parliamentary
constitutional republic
 President: Michael D. Higgins
 Taoiseach: Enda Kenny
 Tánaiste: Eamon Gilmore
 Legislature: Oireachtas
 Upper house: Seanad Éireann
 Lower house: Dáil Éireann

9. Constitution
 The nation functions under the Constitution of Ireland (Irish: Bunreacht na
hÉireann), approved in 1937 through means of a referendum.
 The constitution falls within the liberal democratic custom, and describes the
organs of government and promises specific basic liberties.
 The constitution can only be modified through means of a referendum.
 Significant constitutional referendums have concerned issues including abortion,
the status of the Catholic Church, divorce, and the EU.

10. President
 The President of Ireland is the head of state.
 In following the state’s parliamentary structure of government,
the President exercises a primarily traditional role, though
he/she does have certain definite powers.
 Irish citizens who are no younger than 35 are eligible for the
presidency.
 Candidates are elected directly through secret ballot under the
alternative vote; a candidate may be named for election as
President by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or by four
or more of Ireland’s 34 County and City Councils.
 A retiring President may name himself/herself as a nominee for
re-election.
 If only one legitimate nominee is appointed for election (e.g., if
there is agreement among the political parties to appoint a
single nominee), it is not necessary to proceed to a ballot and
that nominee is considered elected.
 The President is elected to a seven-year term of office; no
individual is permitted to serve more than two terms.
 In conducting their legitimate duties, the President is assisted
by the Council of State; Ireland does not have a VP.
 In the event that the President cannot conduct his/her duties, or
if the office of President is empty, the responsibilities of the
President are conducted by the Presidential Commission.

11. Executive Branch
 A cabinet known simply as the Government
exercises executive authority.
 Article 28 of the Constitution specifies that
the Government may not comprise less than
seven and no more than fifteen members,
explicitly the Taoiseach (PM), the Tánaiste
(Deputy PM), and up to thirteen other
ministers.
 The President, after being appointed by the
Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament)
nominates the Taoiseach.
 The remaining ministers are named by the
Taoiseach and nominated by the President
after their approval by the Dáil.
 The Government must keep the trust of the
Dáil Éireann, and in case the Taoiseach no
longer receives support of the lower house,
they must either step down or ask the
President to dissolve the Dáil, in which case
a general election is called.

12. Legislative Branch
 Article 15 of the Constitution of Ireland
made the Oireachtas Ireland’s national
parliament.
 The Oireachtas is made up of the
President of Ireland and two elected
houses: Dáil Éireann (House of
Representatives) and Seanad Éireann
(Senate).
 Because the Oireachtas also comprises
the President, the formal title of the two
law making houses is the House of the
Oireachtas.
 The legislature’s ruling house is
considerably the Dáil.

13. Dáil Éireann
 Dáil members are elected directly no less than once per five years under the single
transferable vote form of proportional representation from multi-seat constituencies.
 Irish citizens who are no younger than 21 and permanently live in Ireland are eligible for
house membership.
 The electorate comprises all Irish and British citizens in Ireland older than 18.
 Dáil members are referred to as Teachta Dála or TDs.
 There are currently 166 TDs, one of which, the Ceann Comhairle (Chairman), is routinely
returned at an election.
 The Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and the Minister for Finance need to be Dáil members; all other
Government members also need to be members of the Dáil, though up to two members
may be members of the Seanad.
 The Dáil is the only House that may introduce and alter money bills, i.e., financial and tax
legislation.
 Since the early 1990s, no one party has had a majority in Dáil Éireann; government
coalitions have thus been the standard.

14. Seanad Éireann
 The Senate is a principally advisory body; it is grouped of sixty members, i.e.,
Senators.
 An election for the Seanad must occur no later than 90 days following a general
election for Dáil members.
 The Taoiseach appoints eleven senators; an additional six senators are elected by
specific national universities.
 The remaining 43 are elected from special vocational section of nominees, for which
the electorate comprises 60 members of the departing Senate, the 166 TDs of the
arriving Dáil, and the 883 members of 5 city and 29 county councils.
 The Senate exercises the power to interrupt legislative suggestions; it is permitted to
judge and modify bills sent to it via the Dáil (money bills excluded).
 The Senate is only given 21 days to judge money bills sent to it via the Dáil.
 While the Senate may not change money bills, they can make suggestions to the Dáil
on such bills.

15. Political parties with elected representation at a
local, national, or international level
 Fine Gael (“Clan of the Gaels”)
 Labour Party (Páirtí an Lucht Oibre)
 Fianna Fáil (“Soldiers of Destiny”)
 Sinn Féin (“We Ourselves”)
 Socialist Party (Páirtí Sóisialach)
 People Before Profit Alliance
 Workers and Unemployed Action Group
 Green Party (Comhaontas Glas)
 Workers’ Party (Páirtí na nOibrithe)
 Republican Sinn Féin (Sinn Féin
Poblachtach)
 Éirígí (“Rise”)

16. Michael D. Higgins
 Born in Limerick, Ireland on 18 April 1941.
 9th and current President of the Republic
of Ireland, having assumed office on 11
November 2011, after his victory in the
2011 Irish presidential election.
 In addition to being a politician, he is a
poet, sociologist, writer and announcer.
 Was a Teachta Dála (TD) and a member
of the Labour Party until he resigned after
the 2011 presidential election.
 Was also previously a TD for the Galway
West constituency; served as Minister for
Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht between
1993-1997.

17. Enda Kenny
 Born in Castlebar, County Mayo on 24 April
1951.
 Current Taoiseach of Ireland since 9 March
2011.
 Has been the leader of Fine Gael since 2002.
 Served as Minister for Tourism and Trade
between 1994-1997.
 Is also a two-term VP of the EPP.
 Has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Mayo since
1975, having replaced his father Henry Kenny.
 Is the lengthiest-serving TD currently in Dáil
Éireann; this makes him the sitting Father of the
Dáil.
 Led Fine Gael to victory in the 2011 general
election; later negotiated a contract with the
Labour Party, forming a coalition government on
9 March 2011.
 Is the first member of Fine Gael to serve as
Taoiseach since John Bruton between 1994-
1997; is also the first Fine Gael leader to win in
an election since Garret FitzGerald in 1982.

18. Eamon Gilmore
 Born in Caltra, County Galway on 24 April 1955.
 Holds the posts of Tánaiste (Deputy PM) and Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Trade, both since 9 March 2011.
 Has also been the Leader of the Labour Party since 6 September
2007.
 Has represented the constituency of Dún Laoghaire in Dáil Éireann
since 1989, initially as a member of the Workers’ Party of Ireland,
subsequently as a member of the Democratic Left, and most recently
as a member of the Labour Party.
 Previously served as a Minister of State at the Department of the
Marine between 1994-1997 as part of the “Rainbow Coalition” under
the Government of the 27th Dáil.
 Born in County Galway; graduated from University College Galway,
and became President of the Union of Students in Ireland.
 Subsequently became involved in local politics as a trade union
organizer; as a Democratic Left TD, he was vital in arranging that
party’s union with Labour.
 Was defeated by fellow ex-TD of the Democratic Left, Pat Rabbitte, in
Labour’s 2002 leadership election; was instead nominated as the
party’s Environment, Housing, and Local Government speaker; was
elected to the leadership unopposed in 2007.
 Led the Labour Party to its best performance yet with a record of 37
seats during the 2011 general election; this saw Labour come out as
Ireland’s second biggest party for the first time in its 99-year history.
 Went on to work out a programme for government with Fine Gael that
saw the Labour party enter government for the first time since 1997
and Gilmore nominated as Tánaiste, with four other Labour TDs
having seats at cabinet.

19. Dublin

20. The End (an Deireadh)