The Burren Action Group was a group of people from County Clare in Ireland who opposed plans during the 1990s by the Office of Public Works to develop a large scale interpretative centre at Mullaghmore in the local Burren area .
81-592: The Group was a collective of concerned locals who saw themselves as fighting to maintain the natural integrity of the landscape and to protect the environment from elements of the Government of Ireland which did not understand what was at stake. They also felt that the Burren and the area of Mullaghmore formed a "sacred site" and holy ground that needed to be defended in a country whose sites of profound historical importance were rapidly disappearing. In 1992/1993 seven members of
162-488: A department of state will cease to exist, its functions being transferred to another department. Such defunct ministerial positions include the Ministers for Labour , Posts and Telegraphs , Public Service and Supplies . Non-members have no voting rights at Cabinet but may otherwise participate fully, and normally receive circulated Cabinet papers on the same basis as a full member of Government. Votes are rare, however, with
243-767: A member of the Free State Seanad , had served in the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1932 to 1933 as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs , and from 1933 to 1936 as Minister for Lands and Fisheries . A member of the government in charge of a Department of State is designated a minister of the Government (before 1977 this position was termed Minister of State ). For distinction, Ministers of State (known before 1977 as Parliamentary Secretaries ) – informally called junior ministers – are not Ministers of
324-641: A message of goodwill from 268 United States congressmen, including eight senators. The signatories expressed "their ardent congratulations on the birth of the State of Ireland and the consequent coming into effect of the new constitution", adding that "We regard the adoption of the new constitution and the emergence of the State of Ireland as events of the utmost importance." Feminists such as Hannah Sheehy Skeffington claimed that certain articles threatened their rights as citizens and as workers. Article 41.2, for example, equated womanhood with motherhood and further specified
405-563: A national emergency the Oireachtas may pass laws that would otherwise be unconstitutional, and the actions of the executive cannot be found to be ultra vires or unconstitutional provided they at least "purport" to be in pursuance of such a law. However, the constitutional prohibition on the death penalty (Article 15.5.2°), introduced by an amendment made in 2001, is an absolute exception to these powers. There have been two national emergencies since 1937: an emergency declared in 1939 to cover
486-564: A new social problem or phenomenon not considered at the time of the Constitution being drafted (e.g. children's rights, same-sex marriage), to address outmoded provisions in the Constitution (e.g. special position of the Roman Catholic Church, prohibition on abortion), or to attempt to reverse or alter an interpretation of the court through a corrective referendum (e.g. Oireachtas enquiries). Usually referendums are only proposed when there
567-757: A number of Christian denominations, such as the Anglican Church of Ireland , the Presbyterian Church in Ireland , as well as "the Jewish Congregations". It also recognised the "special position" of the Catholic Church. These provisions were removed by the Fifth Amendment in 1973 (see below). Nevertheless, the constitution still contains a number of explicit religious references, such as in the preamble,
648-539: A number of occasions, and these may be cited together as the Ministers and Secretaries Acts 1924 to 2017 and are construed together as one Act. All governments from 1989 to 2016 were coalitions of two or more parties. The first coalition government was formed in 1948. The Taoiseach has almost always been the leader of the largest party in the coalition, with the exceptions of John A. Costello , Taoiseach from 1948 to 1951 and from 1954 to 1957 (a member of Fine Gael but not
729-530: A phrase in correspondence by government departments, "the Minister has directed me to write", on letters or documents that the minister in question may never have seen. If the Government, or any member of the government, should fail to fulfil its constitutional duties, it may be ordered to do so by a court of law, by a writ of mandamus . Ministers who fail to comply may, ultimately, be found to be in contempt of court , and even imprisoned. Prior to independence,
810-410: A prohibition on divorce. The ban on divorce was not removed until 1996. The Constitution had, from 1983 to 2018 , contained a prohibition of abortion. From 1992 the constitution did not prohibit the distribution of information about abortion services in other countries or the right of freedom of travel to procure an abortion. In theory, the prohibition of abortion did not apply to cases in which there
891-680: A statewide plebiscite held on 1 July 1937. The Constitution may be amended solely by a national referendum . It is the longest continually operating republican constitution within the European Union . The Constitution of Ireland replaced the Constitution of the Irish Free State , which had been in effect since the independence, as a dominion , of the Irish state from the United Kingdom on 6 December 1922. There were two main motivations for replacing
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#1732858075734972-599: A woman's 'life within the home'. The Women Graduates' Association, the Joint Committee of Women's Societies and Social Workers, together with the Irish Women Workers' Union mobilised a two-month campaign seeking the provisions' amendment or deletion. The Republican Congress also critiqued the constitution's "stone-age conception of womanhood". Writing in the Irish Democrat, Peadar O'Donnell and Frank Ryan condemned
1053-535: Is enrolled in both languages, and in case of conflict the Irish language version takes precedence, even though in practice the Irish text is a translation of the English rather than vice versa . The 1937 Constitution introduced some Irish-language terms into English, such as Taoiseach and Tánaiste , while others, such as Oireachtas , had been used in the Free State Constitution. The use in English of Éire ,
1134-596: Is expected to maintain political impartiality in its work, and some parts of it are entirely independent of Government decision making. Simon Harris was nominated as Taoiseach by Dáil Éireann on 9 April 2024 and appointed by the president . Harris proposed the nomination of the members of government, and after their approval by the Dáil, they were appointed by the president. Constitution of Ireland The Constitution of Ireland ( Irish : Bunreacht na hÉireann , pronounced [ˈbˠʊnˠɾˠəxt̪ˠ n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ] )
1215-464: Is informally known as a "super junior minister". Currently Jack Chambers , Hildegarde Naughton and Pippa Hackett are Ministers of State who attend cabinet. Trinity College Dublin law professor Oran Doyle has argued that this practice breaches cabinet confidentiality as required by the Constitution . A new government is formed by the Taoiseach appointed after each general election after receiving
1296-559: Is more commonly used in the official sphere. A draft of the constitution was presented personally to the Vatican for review and comment on two occasions by the Department Head at External Relations, Joseph P. Walsh. Prior to its tabling in Dáil Éireann and presentation to the Irish electorate in a plebiscite, Vatican Secretary of State Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli , the future Pope Pius XII, said of
1377-535: Is partly appointed, partly indirectly elected and partly elected by a limited electorate. There is also an independent judiciary headed by the Supreme Court (Article 34). Under Article 28.3.3° the Constitution grants the state sweeping powers "in time of war or armed rebellion", which may (if so resolved by both Houses of the Oireachtas) include an armed conflict in which the state is not a direct participant. During
1458-403: Is responsible for the actions of his or her department. Departments of State do not have legal personalities. Actions of departments are carried out under the title of ministers even, as is commonly the case when the minister has little knowledge of the details of these actions. This contradicts the rule in common law that a person given a statutory power cannot delegate that power. This leads to
1539-652: Is the executive authority of the Republic of Ireland , headed by the Taoiseach , the head of government . The government – also known as the cabinet – is composed of ministers , each of whom must be a member of the Oireachtas , which consists of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann . Most ministers have a portfolio of specific responsibilities such as departments or policy areas, although ministers without portfolio can be appointed. The Taoiseach must be nominated by
1620-500: Is the fundamental law of Ireland . It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people . It guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected non-executive president , a bicameral parliament , a separation of powers and judicial review . It is the second constitution of the Irish state since independence, replacing the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State . It came into force on 29 December 1937 following
1701-543: Is the health sector with over 105,000 employees (largely in the Health Service Executive ), followed by the education sector with approximately 98,450. The civil service of Ireland consists of two broad components, the Civil Service of the Government and the Civil Service of the State . While this partition is largely theoretical, the two parts do have some fundamental operational differences. The civil service
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#17328580757341782-533: Is wide political support for the proposed change. Article 25.5 provides that from time to time, the Taoiseach may cause an up to date text of the Constitution to be prepared in Irish and in English, embodying all of the amendments made so far (and retaining the transitory provisions). Once this new text has been signed by the Taoiseach, the Chief Justice and the President, it is enrolled on vellum and deposited with
1863-722: The 1932 general election . After 1932, under the provisions of the Statute of Westminster, some of the articles of the original Constitution which were required by the Anglo-Irish Treaty were dismantled by acts of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State . Such amendments removed references to the Oath of Allegiance , appeals to the United Kingdom's Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ,
1944-759: The British Crown and the Governor-General . The sudden abdication of Edward VIII in December 1936 was quickly used to redefine the Royal connection. Nevertheless, the Fianna Fáil government still desired to replace the constitutional document they saw as having been imposed by the British government in 1922. The second motive for replacing the original constitution was primarily symbolic. De Valera wanted to put an Irish stamp on
2025-474: The Green Party . It was formed after protracted government negotiations following a general election on 8 February 2020. Membership of the cabinet is regulated by Article 28 of the Constitution of Ireland and by the Ministers and Secretaries Acts 1924 to 2017 . The Constitution requires the government to consist of between seven and fifteen members, all of whom must be a member of the Oireachtas . Since
2106-629: The Irish Free State on 6 December 1922, both executives were succeeded by the Executive Council of the Irish Free State . On 29 December 1937, on the coming into force of the Constitution of Ireland, the Eighth Executive Council of the Irish Free State became the First Government of Ireland . The detail and structure of the Government of Ireland has its legislative basis in the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924; it has been amended on
2187-550: The X Case , the Supreme Court ruled that the state must permit an abortion where there is a danger to her life, including a risk of suicide. Writing in 1968 , Irish Times literary editor Terence de Vere White criticised both the constitution and the existing political system, "At the time of this writing, the Constitution of the Republic is under scrutiny, but it is unlikely that any proposed changes therein will radically alter
2268-417: The nomination of the Dáil . All members of the government are deemed to have resigned on the resignation of the Taoiseach. Therefore, a new government is appointed where there is a new Taoiseach within a single Dáil term. The Constitution allows a Dáil term of no more than seven years, but a shorter period may be specified by law; this has been set as a maximum of five years. The Taoiseach may at any time advise
2349-510: The (non-binding) Directive Principles of Social Policy, as well as the system of vocational panels used to elect the Senate. The Constitution also grants very broadly worded rights to the institution of the family. The remaining religious provisions of the Constitution, including the wording of the Preamble, remain controversial and widely debated. As originally enacted, the Constitution also included
2430-502: The 1937 Constitution for upholding private property as a sacred, 'natural right' and declaring that capitalism was 'something ordained by Providence forever, amen!' The Congress further opposed the Roman Catholic Church's position as a 'State or semi-State church' in violation of republican principles and an offence to Protestants throughout the island. The 'Roman Catholic Bishops of the South', O'Donnell claimed, now functioned as 'the watchdogs of
2511-506: The 1999 changes to Articles 2 and 3 ; articles 34A and 64 were added by the Thirty-third (2013) to initialise the new Court of Appeal . The rejected 2013 proposal to abolish the Seanad included both the deletion of previous Seanad-related transitory provisions and the addition of two new abolition-related ones. The associated Referendum Commission published the full transitory provisions for
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2592-475: The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin . Other religious leaders who were consulted were Archbishop Edward Byrne (Roman Catholic), Archbishop John Gregg (Church of Ireland), William Massey (Methodist) and James Irwin (Presbyterian). There are a number of instances where the texts in English and Irish clash, a potential dilemma which the Constitution resolves by favouring the Irish text even though English
2673-469: The Constitution: either as soon Hyde took office, or three years later in the case of Article 51. Article 51 expressly provides that it would cease to have legal effect once it was removed, but the rest remain in force, which has created subsequent inconvenience. The Second Amendment made changes to Article 56 despite the fact that it was no longer a part of the official text. The transitional continuation of
2754-473: The Department of Finance's preferences for minimal state spending. In line with Ireland's banks and grazier farming interests, the final wording thus preserved the state's existing currency and cattle trading relations with the United Kingdom. The text of the draft constitution, with minor amendments, was approved on 14 June 1937 by Dáil Éireann (then the sole house of parliament, the Seanad having been abolished
2835-577: The Dáil , the house of representatives. Following the nomination of the Dáil , the President of Ireland appoints the Taoiseach to their role. The President also appoints members of the government, including the Tánaiste , the deputy head of government, on the nomination of the Taoiseach and their approval by the Dáil . The government is dependent on the Oireachtas to pass primary legislation and as such,
2916-495: The Government in the office at the date of a dissolution of Dáil Éireann shall continue to hold office until their successors shall have been appointed". Where the resignation of the Taoiseach and government is not immediately followed by the appointment by the president of a new Taoiseach on the nomination of the Dáil, the outgoing government continues as a caretaker government to "carry out their duties until their successors have been appointed". This has happened when no candidate
2997-607: The Government, but assist those Ministers in their Departments. A minister without portfolio may be appointed to the Government who is not the head of a Department of State; this occurred during the period known in Ireland as the Emergency when Frank Aiken served as Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures from 1939 until 1945. The functions of government ministers are frequently transferred between departments during cabinet reshuffles or after elections. On occasion,
3078-557: The Great Depression, as social polarisation generated campaigns and strikes, Catholic social jurists aimed to forestall class conflict. Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and clericalist advisors such as John Charles McQuaid considered constitutional provisions to incorporate land redistribution, credit system regulation, and welfare rights. Late in the drafting process, however, de Valera re-wrote these initially robust socio-economic rights as non-binding 'directive principles', primarily to satisfy
3159-671: The Irish Department of Education. De Valera served as his own External Affairs Minister, hence the use of the Department's Legal Advisor, with whom he had previously worked closely, as opposed to the Attorney General or someone from the Department of the President of the Executive Council. He also received significant input from John Charles McQuaid , the then President of Blackrock College , on religious, educational, family and social welfare issues. McQuaid later became, in 1940,
3240-498: The Irish Free State, in future to be described under the Constitution as 'Eire' or 'Ireland' ... [and] cannot recognise that the adoption of the name 'Eire' or 'Ireland', or any other provision of those articles [of the Irish constitution], involves any right to territory ... forming part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ... They therefore regard the use of the name 'Eire' or 'Ireland' in this connection as relating only to that area which has hitherto been known as
3321-530: The Irish Free State. The other governments of the British Commonwealth countries chose to continue to regard Ireland as a member of the British Commonwealth. A proposal by the Northern Ireland government that Northern Ireland be renamed "Ulster" in response to the new Irish constitution was aborted after it was determined that this would require Westminster legislation. The Irish government received
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3402-554: The Irish-language name of the state, is deprecated . The Constitution establishes a government under a parliamentary system . It provides for a directly elected, largely ceremonial President of Ireland (Article 12), a head of government called the Taoiseach (Article 28), and a national parliament called the Oireachtas (Article 15). The Oireachtas has a dominant directly elected lower house known as Dáil Éireann (Article 16) and an upper house Seanad Éireann (Article 18), which
3483-412: The Oireachtas had a right "to exercise jurisdiction over the whole of that territory". These articles offended Unionists in Northern Ireland, who considered them tantamount to an illegal extraterritorial claim. Under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , Articles 2 and 3 were amended to remove any reference to a "national territory", and to state that a united Ireland should only come about with
3564-425: The Oireachtas", and "shall not be cognisable by any Court under any of the provisions of this Constitution" (preamble to Article 45). The "Directive Principles of Social Policy" feature little in contemporary parliamentary debates. However, no proposals have yet been made for their repeal or amendment. The principles require, in summary, that: The "Directive Principles" have influenced other constitutions. Notably,
3645-440: The President and Seanad — provision was made for their establishment within 180 days, and for the Oireachtas and Presidential Commission to function without them in the interim notwithstanding that they were otherwise essential. Judges were required to swear allegiance to the new Constitution to continue in office, but other continuing public servants were not. Article 51 allowed constitutional amendments without referendum during
3726-402: The President to dissolve the Dáil, prompting a new general election. The President retains absolute discretion to refuse to grant a dissolution to a Taoiseach who has lost the confidence of the Dáil. To date, no President has refused the request of a Taoiseach to dissolve the Dáil. The Taoiseach must retain the confidence of Dáil Éireann to remain in office. If the Taoiseach ceases "to retain
3807-444: The Taoiseach resigns, the entire Government is deemed to have resigned as a collective. However, in such a scenario, according to the Constitution, "the Taoiseach and the other members of the Government shall continue to carry on their duties until their successors shall have been appointed". On the dissolution of Dáil Éireann, ministers are no longer members of the Oireachtas. However, the Constitution also provides that "the members of
3888-572: The cabinet must be members of Dáil Éireann , the house of representatives. The Taoiseach , Tánaiste and Minister for Finance must be members of the Dáil. In practice, however, the members of the cabinet are invariably members of the Dáil. Since the adoption of the 1937 constitution, only two ministers have been appointed from the Seanad: Seán Moylan who served in 1957 as Minister for Agriculture and James Dooge who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1982. Joseph Connolly ,
3969-631: The cabinet usually following the Taoiseach or working by consensus. The Government is advised by the Attorney General , who is not formally a member of the Government, but who participates in cabinet meetings as part of their role as legal advisor to the Government. The Chief Whip may attend meetings of the cabinet, but is not a member of the Government. In addition, the Government can select other Ministers of State who may attend cabinet meetings. Up to three Ministers of State who regularly attend cabinet meetings may receive an allowance. This person
4050-487: The consent of majorities in both the jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. The amended Articles also guarantee the people of Northern Ireland the right to be a "part of the Irish Nation", and to Irish citizenship. This change came into force in December 1999. The Constitution guarantees freedom of worship, and forbids the state from creating an established church. Article 44.1 as originally enacted explicitly "recognised"
4131-501: The constitution in 1937. Firstly, the Statute of Westminster 1931 granted parliamentary autonomy to the six British Dominions (now known as Commonwealth realms ) within a British Commonwealth of Nations . This had the effect of making the dominions sovereign nations in their own right. The Irish Free State constitution of 1922 was, in the eyes of many, associated with the controversial Anglo-Irish Treaty . The anti-treaty faction, who opposed
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#17328580757344212-468: The constitution provided for a smooth takeover from the pre-existing institutions of the Free State to those established by the new constitution. Institutions would initially be assigned to their Free State analogues where available; this applied to the Dáil, courts, government, public service, Attorney General, Comptroller and Auditor General, Defence Forces and police. For constitutional innovations —
4293-479: The constitution's assertion of a territorial claim on Northern Ireland, and the absence in its text of any reference to the British Commonwealth. The London-based Daily Telegraph included in its criticism the special position assigned to the Church of Rome under the new constitution. The Sunday Times concluded it would only help to "perpetuate division" between Dublin and Belfast. The Irish Catholic concluded it
4374-462: The declaration made by the President, and the remaining text of Article 44.1, which reads: The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion. A number of ideas found in the Constitution reflect the Catholic social teachings when the original text was drafted. Such teachings informed the provisions of
4455-692: The executive of the unilaterally declared Irish Republic was the Ministry of Dáil Éireann . This was in operation from 1919 to 1922. After the approval of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in January 1922, a Provisional Government of Ireland was established as the executive. The personnel of the Provisional Government overlapped with the Ministry of Dáil Éireann, but they were not identical. On the independence of
4536-508: The family's "imprescriptible rights, antecedent and superior to all positive law" has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as conferring upon spouses a broad right to privacy in marital affairs. In McGee v. The Attorney General (1974) the court invoked this right to strike down laws banning the sale of contraceptives. The court also issued a controversial interpretation of Article 40.3.3°, which before its replacement in 2018 prohibited abortion. In Attorney General v X (1992), commonly known as
4617-403: The famous "Indian Directive Principles of State Policy" contained in the Constitution of India are influenced by the Constitution of Ireland. Moreover, the previous Constitution of Nepal adopted in 1962 and in force for 28 years and commonly called Panchayat Constitution contained a verbatim translation of the "Directive Principles" of the Irish constitution. The transitory provisions of
4698-401: The final amended draft: "We do not approve, neither do we disapprove; We shall maintain silence." The quid pro quo for this indulgence of the Catholic Church's interests in Ireland was the degree of respectability which it conferred on De Valera's formerly denounced republican faction and its reputation as the 'semi-constitutional' political wing of the 'irregular' anti-treaty forces. During
4779-410: The formation of the 12th Government of Ireland in 1966, all Irish cabinets have been formed with the constitutional maximum of fifteen ministers. The total sometimes falls below this number for brief periods following the resignation of individual ministers or the withdrawal of a party from a coalition. No more than two members of the cabinet may be members of Seanad Éireann . All other members of
4860-408: The government needs to command a majority in the Dáil in order to ensure support and confidence for budgets and government bills to pass. The current government entered office on 9 April 2024 with Simon Harris , leader of Fine Gael , as Taoiseach . The Tánaiste is Micheál Martin , leader of Fianna Fáil . It is a majority coalition government of Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael and
4941-514: The group lodged a complaint against the project with the Irish High Court , which resulted in work being stopped. These seven included local farmers like James Howard and Patrick McCormack, priest Fr John O’Donohue, and academic Emer Colleran , as well as media figures like the producer P.J. Curtis and Lelia Doolan . The Burren Action Group was also supported by leftist politicians like Brigid Makowski . Following about ten years of opposition,
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#17328580757345022-568: The group was finally successful in March 2000. An Bord Pleanála confirmed the ruling by the Clare County Council to refuse planning permission for a scaled-down version of the original plans. In 2012, James Howard and Patrick McCormack, the latter owner of the house that featured as the parochial house in the Father Ted TV show, once again opposed a new application to construct a car park at
5103-616: The groups who opposed the constitution were supporters of Fine Gael and the Labour Party , Unionists , and some independents and feminists. The question put to voters was "Do you approve of the Draft Constitution which is the subject of this plebiscite?" . When the draft new constitution was published, the Irish Independent described it as one of de Valera's "finest tributes to his predecessors". The Irish Times criticised
5184-421: The head of state is the nominal chief executive, though bound by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. In Ireland, however, the Constitution explicitly vests executive authority in the Government, not the President. The executive authority of the Government is subject to certain limitations. In particular: Government ministers are collectively responsible for the actions of the government. Each minister
5265-449: The information of voters, with a disclaimer that this did not constitute an "official" text. Any part of the Constitution may be amended, but only by referendum. The procedure for amendment of the Constitution is set out in Article 46. An amendment must first be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, then be submitted to a referendum, and then finally must be signed into law by the President. Amendments are sometimes proposed to address
5346-477: The institutions of government, and chose to do this in particular through the use of Irish language nomenclature. De Valera personally supervised the writing of the Constitution. It was drafted initially by John Hearne , legal adviser to the Department of External Affairs (now called the Department of Foreign Affairs). It was translated into Irish over a number of drafts by a group headed by Micheál Ó Gríobhtha (assisted by Risteárd Ó Foghludha), who worked in
5427-421: The laws of the Oireachtas and activities of the Government it finds to be unconstitutional. Under judicial review the quite broad meaning of certain articles has come to be explored and expanded upon since 1937. The Supreme Court ruled that Articles 2 and 3, before their alteration in 1999, did not impose a positive obligation upon the state that could be enforced in a court of law. The reference in Article 41 to
5508-421: The office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court. Once enrolled, the new text becomes conclusive evidence of the Constitution, and supersedes earlier enrolled copies. The Constitution has been enrolled six times: in 1938, 1942, 1980, 1990, 1999, and 2019. The Constitution states that it is the highest law of the land and grants the Supreme Court of Ireland authority to interpret its provisions, and to strike down
5589-425: The party leader) and Leo Varadkar , since 2022 (leader of Fine Gael, in a three-party coalition where Fianna Fáil is the largest party). The public service in Ireland refers to the totality of public administration in Ireland. As of Q3, 2016 the total number of employees in the Irish public service stands at 304,472 people. The Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform defines
5670-518: The pre-1937 courts was not formally ended until the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961, whose long title refers to "Article 58 of the Constitution". A journalist commented in 1958 that the courts' status was determined by "a non-existent provision of the Constitution". Further transitory provisions have been added by subsequent constitutional amendments, and similarly omitted from officially published texts. The Nineteenth (1998) added subsections 3°, 4° and 5° to Article 29.7 to facilitate
5751-427: The previous year). The draft constitution was then put to a plebiscite on 1 July 1937 (the same day as the 1937 general election ), when it was passed by a plurality . 56% of voters were in favour, comprising 38.6% of the whole electorate. The constitution came into force on 29 December 1937 and, to mark the occasion, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs issued two commemorative stamps on that date. Among
5832-633: The private property classes'. The official text of the Constitution consists of a Preamble, numbered Articles arranged under headings, and a final dedication ( Irish : Dochum glóire Dé agus onóra na hÉireann "For the glory of God and the Honour of Ireland", from the Annals of the Four Masters ). Its overall length is approximately 16,000 words. Article 8 of the Constitution states: Interpretation of these provisions has been contentious. The Constitution itself
5913-480: The public service as comprising seven sectors: the Civil Service , Defence Sector , Education Sector , Health Sector , Justice Sector , Local Authorities and Non-Commercial State Agencies ; such as Bord Bia , IDA Ireland and the Commission for Energy Regulation . Commercial state-owned bodies such as RTÉ , ESB Group and An Post are not considered part of the public service in Ireland. The largest sector
5994-470: The site of the planned visitors' centre. The Burren Action Group compiled a music album in the early 1990s, entitled Music in the Stone to raise money to save Mullaghmore because "...the wheels of greed are rolling towards it" ; contributing artists included Luka Bloom , Sharon Shannon and Loreena McKennitt . Government of Ireland The Government of Ireland ( Irish : Rialtas na hÉireann )
6075-435: The support of a majority in Dáil Éireann", the Taoiseach must resign unless they seek a dissolution of the Dáil which is granted by the President. This applies only in cases of a motion of no confidence or loss of supply (rejection of a budget), rather than the defeat of the government in other legislation or Dáil votes. The Taoiseach can direct the President to dismiss or accept the resignation of individual ministers . When
6156-497: The system established. A Constitution on the United States model might well suit the people better than the present one; but the Irish are too innately Conservative ever to bring about such a change except by gradual and almost imperceptible degrees." As adopted in 1937, Article 2 asserted that "the whole island of Ireland, its islands and the territorial seas" formed a single "national territory", while Article 3 asserted that
6237-463: The threat to national security posed as a consequence of World War II (although the state remained formally neutral throughout that conflict), and an emergency declared in 1976 to deal with the threat to the security of the state posed by the Provisional IRA . Article 45 outlines broad principles of social and economic policy. Its provisions are, however, intended solely "for the general guidance of
6318-563: The three years after the first President took office ( Douglas Hyde did so on 25 June 1938 ). This was to facilitate the Oireachtas fixing any defects or oversights that quickly became obvious. The President could still demand a referendum in some cases, but the First (1939) and Second (1941) amendments were enacted under Article 51 without referendum. The transitory provisions are mostly still in force but spent . They themselves mandate that they be omitted from all officially published texts of
6399-476: The treaty initially by force of arms, was so opposed to the institutions of the new Irish Free State that it initially took an abstentionist line toward them, boycotting them altogether. However, the largest element of this faction became convinced that abstentionism could not be maintained forever. This element, led by Éamon de Valera , formed the Fianna Fáil party in 1926, which entered into government following
6480-416: Was a "noble document in harmony with papal teachings". When the new constitution was enacted, the British government, according to The New York Times , "contented itself with a legalistic protest". Its protest took the form of a communiqué on 30 December 1937, in which the British stated: His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom has considered the position created by the new Constitution ... of
6561-416: Was nominated for Taoiseach when the Dáil first assembled after a general election, or, on one occasion, where a Taoiseach had lost the confidence of the Dáil, but there was not a dissolution of the Dáil followed by a general election. Unlike the cabinets in other parliamentary systems, the Government is both the de jure and de facto executive authority in Ireland. In some other parliamentary regimes,
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