1. Chapter 12:
Politics and Economy

2. Politics
In common with most countries in Western Europe, Ireland is a representative democracy: most of its offices are filled through election, either direct or indirect, by the Irish People.

3. Politics
In structure, like most former colonies of Great Britain, the Irish Republic has a prime Minister or Taoiseach and a Deputy Prime Minister who appoints a cabinet to execute the daily business of government. The Parliament or Dail enacts all legislation for the country. This legislation is interpreted by a hierarchy of courts. Finally the laws are enforced by an unarmed police force, called the Garda Siochana (or “Guardians of the Peace”). Being a republic, rather than a monarchy, the government is headed by a President, who is elected directly by the people.

4. The President
Under the Constitution, the President (Uachtaran) is elected by the direct vote of the people. Every citizen of 35 years of age or over is eligible to run for President. Every citizen who has a right to vote in at an election for members of the Irish Parliament also has the right to vote at an election for President.
The President’s term of office is 7 years. A President can be reelected once only.
The President acts as a symbolic Head of State only and does not have executive functions.

5. The Government
The executive powers of the State are exercised by, or on the authority of, the Government. The Constitution provides that the Government shall consist of not less than 7 and not more than 15 members: all must be elected members of the Irish parliament. The Government acts collectively and is responsible to the Dail or Irish Parliament.

6. The Government
The Prime Minister is appointed by the President on the nomination of the Parliament. Thus the Prime Minister must emerge as an agreed candidate of the largest political party of the Parliament, or one that is agreed by a coalition of Parliament parties, and must resign if he ceases to retain the support of a majority of members in the Parliament.
The Prime Minister nominates the Deputy Prime Minister.

7. The Government
The Prime Minister also assigns different areas of responsibility or Departments of State to members of the Government.
The Prime Minister also appoints an Attorney General.

8. Parliament
The sole power of making laws for the state is vested in the Irish Parliament. The Parliament of Ireland is comprised of two houses: the Dail and the Seanad or the Senate.
Government policy and administration may be examined and criticized in both Houses; but under the Constitution the Government is responsible to the Dail alone.

9. Parliament
In the passage of legislation the primacy of Dail is clearly shown in relation to legislation regarding money (allocation and spending), on which the Senate is empowered only to make recommendations (not amendments).
At present Irish parliament has 166 members called Teachtai Dala (TDs).
At present the Senate has 60 members.

10. Voting in Elections and Referenda
Opportunities for the general public to vote arise in 5 separate decision-making procedures:
--the election the President (every 7 years);
--Dail (or parliamentary) elections (at least every 5 years.);
--referenda on proposed Constitutional amendments;
--the election of representatives to the European parliament (every 5 years);
--elections to local authorities (usually every 5 years).

11. Voting in Elections and Referenda
Every resident citizen over the age of 18 may vote at Dail, Presidential, local and European elections, and referenda. EU citizens may vote at European and local elections. All residents of Ireland, regardless of citizenship, may vote at local elections.

12. The Civil Service
The civil service is divided into 16 Government Departments, each headed by a Minister appointed by the Prime Minister. The civil service is politically independent in the performance of its duties and has no involvement in party politics.
At present, there are some 30,000 people employed in the civil service.

13. The Irish Legal System
The Irish legal system is based on a constitution, which sets out the primary principles to be followed in framing Irish law.
Judges are appointed by the President on the advice of the government.
The High Court has full jurisdiction and determining power in all matters of law or fact, civil or criminal. It can decide the validity of any law, having regard to the provisions of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court is the court of final appeal.

14. Economy
Ireland is a small, open, trade-dependent economy. It is an island on the western edge of Europe.
In recent decades, the Irish economy has been transformed from being agrarian and having a traditional manufacturing base to one increasingly based on the hi-tech and internationally traded services. In 2002, the services sector accounted for 65% of employment, industry for 28%, and agriculture for only 7%.

15. Economy
From its founding in 1922 until the 1970s, Ireland as an economy tended to be inward-looking, and concentrated on goals now seen to be futile, such as becoming self-sufficient.

16. Economy
Over the last decade, unprecedented economic growth has seen the level of Irish real GNP almost double in size. The reasons are:
There was a population boom;
There was the reform of education;
The government had a conversion to market economics.
Its entrance to the EU has transformed labor practice and given Ireland access to the Single Market.

17. The EU: Economic Policies
Initially much of the money came from the EU, in the form of structural funds—used to improve the infrastructure and for education and training.
Apart from the massive infusion of structural funds, the EU’s most important benefit for Ireland is in granting it access to Europe. Ireland joined the EU in 1971.
The availability of such a labor force has become a major incentive for foreign industry to locate in Ireland.
Today, the Irish economy is dominated in many ways by many multinationals.

18. The EU: Social Policies
One of the most obvious markers of the way the EU membership has changed Ireland would be in the status of women.
The most obvious outcome of the accession to the EU is a change in Ireland’s labor market: Now all Irish citizens were entitled to an EU passport, which allows them to work legally in any member country. In turn, any other citizen of an EU country could work legally in Ireland.

19. Ireland Today
The young Irish person of today is in flight from the land and the traditional culture embodied in it. He or she would be most likely university-educated and headed for a professional or semi-professional career. Rather than emigrating to the United States or Britain in search of employment, the young Irish person of today would be looking towards the new member states of the EU for job opportunities. Thus today’s Irish young person is more likely to think of their future more in global rather than local terms.

20. Ireland Today
What is striking in Ireland is the lack of adequate public facilities and programs to tackle these emerging problems.
In terms of social welfare, housing prices have led to a rapid increase in homelessness, which has reached almost crisis in some cities such as Dublin.

21. Homework
Exercises I, II, III, (P )