Government & politics — Ireland

the modern Irish name "Éire" evolved from the Gaelic "Eriu," the name of the matron goddess of Ireland (goddess of the land); the names "Ireland" in English and "Eire" in Irish are direct translations of each other

• 6 December 1921 (from the UK by the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which ended British rule)
• 6 December 1922 (Irish Free State established)
• 18 April 1949 (Republic of Ireland Act enabled)

• Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
• note - marks the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, during the latter half of the fifth century A.D. (most commonly cited years are c. 461 and c. 493)
• although Saint Patrick's feast day was celebrated in Ireland as early as the ninth century, it only became an official public holiday in Ireland in 1903

• history: previous 1922; latest drafted 14 June 1937, adopted by plebiscite 1 July 1937,
• effective 29 December 1937 amendments: proposed as bills by Parliament; passage requires a majority vote by both the Senate and House of Representatives, a majority vote in a referendum, and a presidential signature; amended many times, last in 2019

• chief of state: President M
• ichael D. HIGGINS (since 11 November 2011) head of government: Taoiseach (
• Prime Minister) Leo VARADKAR (since 16 December 2022) cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by the Da
• li Eireann (lower house of Parliament) elections/appointments: president directly elected by majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 October 2018 (next to be held no later than November 2025); taoiseach (prime minister) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann),
• appointed by the president election results: 2018: Michael D. HIGGINS reelected president in first round; percent of vote in first round - Michael D. HIGGINS (independent) 55.8%, Peter CASEY (independent) 23.3%, Sean GALLAGHER (independent) 6.4%, Liadh NI RIADA (Sinn Fein) 6.4%, Joan FREEMAN (independent) 6%, Gavin DUFFY (independent) 2.2% 2011: Michael D. HIGGINS elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Michael D. HIGGINS (Labor) 39.6%, Sean GALLAGHER (independent) 28.5%, Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) 13.7%, Gay Mitchell (Fine Gael) 6.4%, David Norris (independent) 6.2%, Mary DAVIS (independent) 2.7%; percent of vote in second round - Michael D. HIGGINS 56.8%, Sean GALLAGHER 35.5%

Description

bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of: Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members indirectly elected from 5 vocational panels of nominees by an electoral college, 11 appointed by the prime minister House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (160 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; all Parliament members serve 5-year terms)

Elections

• Senate - last held early on 21-30 May 2020 (next to be held in March 2025) House of Representatives - last held on 8 February 2020 (next to be held no later than March 2025)

Election Results

• - Senate - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 35%, Fine Gael 26.7%, Green Party 6.7%, Labor Party 6.7%, Sinn Fein 6.7%, other 1.6%, independent 16.7%
• seats by party - Fianna Fail 21, Fine Gael 16, Green Party 4, Labor Party 4, Sinn Fein 4, other 1, independent 10;

Composition

• men 36, women 24, percent of women 40% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 23.8%, Sinn Fein 23.1%, Fine Gael 21.9%, Green Party 7.5%, other 11.8%, independent 11.9%
• seats by party - Fianna Fail 38, Sinn Fein 37, Fine Gael 35, Green Party 12, Labor Party 6, Social Democrats 6, PBPS 5, other 2, independent 19
• composition as of March 2022 - men 123, women 37, percent of women 23.1%;

Note

total Parliament percent of women 27.7%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court of Ireland (consists of the chief justice, 9 judges, 2 ex-officio members - the presidents of the High Court and Court of Appeal - and organized in 3-, 5-, or 7-judge panels, depending on the importance or comp
• lexity of an issue of law) judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the prime minister and Cabinet and appointed by the president; the chief justice serves in the position for 7 years;
• judges can serve until age 70 subordinate courts: High Court, Court of Appeal; circuit and district courts; criminal courts

28 counties and 3 cities*; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Cork*, Donegal, Dublin*, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Galway*, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

• Aontu [Peadar TOIBIN]
• Solidarity-People Before Profit or PBPS [collective leadership]
• Fianna Fail [Micheal MARTIN]
• Fine Gael [Leo VARADKAR]
• Green Party [Eamon RYAN]
• Human Dignity Alliance [Ronan MULLEN]
• Labor (Labour)
• Party Ivana BACIK]
• Right to Change or RTC [Joan COLLINS]
• Sinn Fein [Mary Lou McDONALD]
• Social Democrats [Holly CAIRNS]
• Socialist Party [collective leadership]
• The Workers' Party [collective leadership]

• citizenship by birth: no, unless a parent of a child born in Ireland has been legally resident in Ireland for at least three of the four year
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 4 of the previous 8 years

ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

Ambassador Claire D. CRONIN (since 10 February 2022) embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 mailing address: 5290 Dublin Place, Washington DC 20521-5290

telephone

[353] (1) 668-8777

FAX

[353] (1) 688-8056

Email address and website

• ACSDublin@state.gov
• https://ie.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Geraldine Byrne NASON (since 16 September 2022)

chancery

2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 462-3939

FAX

[1] (202) 232-5993

Email address and website

• https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/usa/

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Austin (TX), Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco