Republic of Ireland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Republic of Ireland Image File history File links COA_IRELAND.PNG Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Politics of Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Taoiseach is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ...

Constitution Referendum

Oireachtas Seanad Éireann Cathaoirleach: Rory Kiely Dáil Éireann Ceann Comhairle: Rory O'Hanlon President: Mary McAleese Council of State Presidential Commission Government Taoiseach: Bertie Ahern Tánaiste: Michael McDowell Departments of State Minister of State Opposition Leader: Enda Kenny Civil Service Local Government Courts Supreme Court Chief Justice High Court Special Criminal Court Circuit Court District Court Elections Presidential (2004) European (2004) Parliamentary (2002) Upcoming parliamentary (2007) Constituencies By-elections Political Parties Politicians Counties of Ireland EU Politics Foreign relations See also An amendment may be made to any part of Bunreacht na hÉireann, the constitution of the Republic of Ireland, but only by referendum. ... The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ... Cathaoirleach (pronounced, ka-here-loch) is the title of the speaker of the sixty-member Irish upper house, Seanad Éireann (pronounced sch-anad air-inn). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of Ireland. ... The Ceann Comhairle1 is the chairman or speaker of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Dr. Rory OHanlon (born 7 February 1934), Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann. ... Official Seal of the President of Ireland Mary McAleese, the current President of Ireland. ... Mary Patricia McAleese (Irish name Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa; born 27 June 1951) is the eighth, and current, President of Ireland. ... The Council of State (Irish: Comhairle Stáit) is an organ established by the Constitution of Ireland to advise the President of Ireland in the exercise of many of his or her discretionary, reserve powers. ... The Presidential Commission (Irish: Coimisiún Uachtarán) is the collective vice-presidency of the Republic of Ireland. ... The Taoiseach ( or [1]) — plural: Taoisigh ( or [1]) — or, more formally, An Taoiseach[2], is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet, the rough equivalent of a prime minister under the Westminster System. ... Patrick Bartholomew Ahern (known as Bertie Ahern, Irish name: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn; born 12 September 1951) is an Irish politician. ... The Tánaiste[1] (plural: Tánaistithe), or, more formally, An Tánaiste, is the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Ireland. ... Michael McDowell (Irish: ; born May, 1951) is the leader of the Progressive Democrats. ... The Irish Government contains a number of departments or ministries, known in the Republic of Ireland as a Department of State (Roinn Stáit in Irish). ... A Minister of State, in the Republic of Ireland, is a junior minister of non-cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the cabinet. ... The Opposition Front Bench in the Republic of Ireland is a group of senior parliamentary opposition Teachtaí Dála who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the governments. ... The Leader of the Opposition (Ir Ceannaire an Fhreasúra) in the Republic of Ireland is the politician who, at least in theory, leads the Parliamentary Opposition bloc in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann. ... Enda Kenny (Irish name: Éanna Ó Cionnaith; born 24 April 1951), an Irish politician, is the 10th leader of the Fine Gael party and Leader of the Opposition in Dáil Éireann. ... The civil service (an stát-sheirbhís in Irish) of the Republic of Ireland consists of two broad components, the Civil Service of the Government and the Civil Service of the State. ... The courts system in the Republic of Ireland consists of the Supreme Court, the High Court and a number of lower courts. ... The Supreme Court (Irish: Chúirt Uachtarach) is the highest judicial authority in the Republic of Ireland. ... Chief Justice John L. Murray is the current Chief Justice of Ireland. ... The High Court (Irish: An Ard-Chúirt) of the Republic of Ireland is a court which deals at first instance with the most serious and important civil and criminal cases, and also acts as a court of appeal for civil cases in the Circuit Court. ... The Special Criminal Court is a juryless criminal court in the Republic of Ireland which tries terrorist and organized crime cases. ... The Circuit Court (An Chúirt Chuarda in Irish) of Ireland consists of a President and thirty-three judges. ... The District Court (An Chúirt Dúiche in Irish) of Ireland consists of a President and fifty-four judges. ... The Republic of Ireland elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. ... The date for Irelands presidential election was set for 22 October 2004. ... The European Parliament Election, 2004 was the Republic of Ireland component of the European Parliament Election, 2004. ... The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday 17 May 2002, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. ... The next general election in the Republic of Ireland need not officially occur until 2007. ... The lower house of the Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann, currently contains 166 Teachtaí Dála (TDs), representing 42 parliamentary constituencies throughout the Republic of Ireland. ... This is an incomplete list of Irish by-elections, with the names of the incumbent and victor and their respective parties. ... There are a number of political parties in the Republic of Ireland, and coalition governments are common. ... This is an incomplete list of public-representative office-holders, elected and appointed, past and present, in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... The island of Ireland was historically divided into 32 counties (Irish language contae or condae, pronounced IPA: ). After the partition of Ireland in 1921, what became the Republic of Ireland comprised 26 of these, with Northern Ireland comprising the remaining six. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Republic of Ireland is involved in a number of outstanding international disputes. ... Politics of Northern Ireland

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Local government in the Republic of Ireland is governed by the Local Government Acts, the most recent of which (Local Government Act 2001) established a two-tier structure of local government. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 is the founding document of the present system of local government. The Twentieth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland (1999) provided for constitutional recognition of local government for the first time in Ireland. Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four parts of the United Kingdom. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... The Local Government Act, 2001 (No. ... Local governments are administrative offices of an area smaller than a state or province. ... The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 a piece of legislation passed as an Act of Parliament by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1898, to establish a system of local government in Ireland on lines similar that had been recently created in Great Britain at the time. ... The Twentieth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, the founding legal document of the Republic of Ireland, provided constitutional recognition of local government and required that local government elections occur at least once in every five years. ...

Structure

See also: Regions of the Republic of Ireland

The top tier of the structure consists of 29 county councils and five city councils. Twenty-four of the 26 traditional counties have had county councils since 1898; Tipperary has had two, for North Tipperary and South Tipperary), also since 1898; and since 1994 the traditional County Dublin has had three, for the administrative counties of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin). The five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, and Galway have city councils, which have the same status as county councils. The Republic of Ireland is split into eight sub-regions for statistical purposes. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ... The island of Ireland was historically divided into 32 counties (Irish language contae or condae, pronounced IPA: ). After the partition of Ireland in 1921, what became the Republic of Ireland comprised 26 of these, with Northern Ireland comprising the remaining six. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... North Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann Thuaidh in Irish), known until 2002 as Tipperary North Riding, is a local government area in Ireland, consisting of the northern part of County Tipperary. ... South Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann Theas in Irish), known until 2002 as Tipperary South Riding, is a local government area in Ireland, consisting of the southern part of County Tipperary. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Dublin Code: D Area: 921 km² Population (2002) 1,122,821 County Dublin (Irish: Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath), or more correctly the Dublin Region[1] (Réigiúin Átha Cliath), is the area that contains the city of Dublin, the capital and largest city of... Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown1 (Irish: Dún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is an administrative county in the Republic of Ireland forming part of the traditional county of Dublin. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Swords Code: D (FL proposed) Area: 448. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Tallaght Code: D (SN proposed) Area: 222. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 51. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

The second tier of local government consists of town councils. The city of Kilkenny and four towns which had borough corporation status before 2001 (Sligo, Drogheda, Clonmel, and Wexford), are allowed to use the title of "Borough Council" instead of "Town Council", but they have no additional responsibilities. There are 75 other town councils in addition to these five borough councils. Outside the towns the county councils are solely responsible for local services. The term Town Council was introduced into Local government in the Republic of Ireland by the Local Government Act 2001. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... A borough is an administrative division used in various countries. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Clonmel (Cluain Meala in Irish) is a medium-sized town situated in south County Tipperary, Ireland. ... Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman) is the county town of County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland. ...

This structure is a modified version of the system introduced in 1898, with county boroughs renamed as cities, urban districts and municipal boroughs renamed as towns (or, as noted, boroughs), and rural districts abolished (everywhere except County Dublin in 1925, and in County Dublin in 1930). The distinction between urban district and "towns with town commissioners" has been abolished. 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... County borough was a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom to refer to a borough or a city independent of county administration. ... In the British Isles an urban district was a type of local government district which covered an urbanised area. ... A borough is a political division originally used in England. ... In local government on the British Isles, a rural district was a predominantly rural area used for local government. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ...

Funding

Following the abolition of domestic property rates in the late 1970s, local councils have found it extremely difficult to raise money. The shortfall from the abolition of property rates led to the introduction of service charges for water and refuse, but these were highly unpopular in certain areas and led in certain cases to large-scale non-payment. Arising from a decision made by the Rainbow Government domestic water charges were abolished on January 1, 1997 placing further pressure on local government funding. Rates are a form of taxation system in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, such as New Zealand, historically used to fund local government. ... The 27th Dáil was elected on November 25, 1992 but didnt meet until the new year when the 23rd Government of Ireland was appointed. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Irish Exchequer is a significant source of funding at present, and additional sources are rates on commercial and industrial property, housing rents, service charges and borrowing. The dependence on Exchequer has lead to charges that the Republic has an overly centralised system of local government. The Minister for Finance is the senior minister at the Department of Finance (An Roinn Airgeadais) in the Irish Government. ...

It is worth noting that over the past three decades numerous studies carried out by consultants on behalf of the Government have recommended the reintroduction of some form of local taxation/charging regime, but these are generally seen as politically unacceptable. The most recent report on local government funding, carried out by the Indecon Consortium, is due to be published in the near future.

Since 1999, Motor Tax is paid into the Local Government Fund, established by the Local Government Act 1998[1] and is distributed on a "Needs and Resources" basis.

Responsibilities

Local government has progressively lost control over services to national and regional bodies, particularly since the foundation of the state in 1922. For instance, local control of education has largely been passed to Vocational Education Committees, whilst other bodies such as the Department of Education and Science still hold significant powers. In 1970 local government lost its health remit, to the Health Board system, which had been already eroded by the creation of the Department of Health in 1947. In the 1990s the National Roads Authority took overall authority for national roads projects, supported by local authorities who maintain the non-national roads system. The whole area of waste management has been transformed since the 1990's, with a greater emphasis on environmental protection, recycling infrastructure and higher environmental standards. In 1993 the Environmental Protection Agency was established to underpin a more pro-active and co-ordinated national and local approach to protecting the environment. An Bord Pleanala was seen as another inroad into local government responsibilities. Additionally, the trend has been to remove decision-making from elected councillors to full-time professionals and officials. In particular, every city and county has a manager, who is the chief executive but is also a public servant appointed by the Public Appointments Service (formerly the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission), and is thus answerable to the national government as well as the local council. A Vocational Education Committee (VEC) are committees in the Republic of Ireland that have charge of vocational schools, certain colleges and previously had authority over the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Regional Technical Colleges until 1992. ... The Department of Education and Science (An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta) is a department of the Irish government. ... The Health Board system of the Republic of Ireland was created by the Health Act, 1970. ... The Department of Health & Children (An Roinn Sláinte agus Leanaí) is a government department of the Irish government. ... An Bord Pleanála (or The Planning Appeals Board) determines appeals and other cases under the national planning acts in the Republic of Ireland. ... In the Republic of Ireland, the public service consists of agencies, which while not formally part of the Departments of State, provide services on behalf of the government. ...

Local government bodies now have responsibility for such matters as planning, local roads, sanitation, and libraries. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has responsibility for local authorities and related services. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is the senior minister at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (An Roinn Comhshaoil, Oidhreacht agus Rialtais Áitiúil) in the Irish Government. ...

External links

• Department of the Environment and Local Government - Local Gov't Overview
• CityMayors article