POLITICS AND ECONOMY

POLITICS AND POLITICS AND ECONOMYECONOMYOF OF IRELANDIRELAND

POLITICSPOLITICS IntroductionIntroduction representative democracyrepresentative democracy the Prime Minister (the Prime Minister (TaoiseachTaoiseach)()(pronounced TEE-spronounced TEE-s

hockhock)) Deputy Prime Minister (Tanaiste)Deputy Prime Minister (Tanaiste) the Cabinetthe Cabinet a hierarchy of courtsa hierarchy of courts Garda Siochana (“Garda Siochana (“Guardians of the PeaceGuardians of the Peace”)”) PresidentPresident

checks and balanceschecks and balancesChecks and Checks and

BalancesBalances, the doctrine and practice of , the doctrine and practice of dispersing political power and creating mutual dispersing political power and creating mutual accountability among political entities such as accountability among political entities such as the courts, the president or prime minister, the the courts, the president or prime minister, the legislature, and the citizens. The diffusion of legislature, and the citizens. The diffusion of power and the mutual accountability are power and the mutual accountability are designed to prevent any single group or designed to prevent any single group or individual from dominating the political individual from dominating the political system. Political systems with checks and system. Political systems with checks and balances sometimes have a separation of balances sometimes have a separation of powers—that is, an allocation of different powers—that is, an allocation of different political and legal functions to separate and political and legal functions to separate and independent branches of the government.independent branches of the government.

ExecutiveExecutive

Executive power – the cabinet of Executive power – the cabinet of ministersministers

Chief executive – the Prime MinisterChief executive – the Prime Minister

the President of Irelandthe President of Ireland

Former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern

Bertie Ahern Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern became prime minister of Ireland in 1997. In power, Ahern worked closely with British prime minister Tony Blair to encourage peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, and he urged paramilitary groups to disarm.

Outgoing Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern (L) and new Prime Minister Brian Cowen shake hands.

Mr.  Brian Cowen , T.D .

爱尔兰总理 Brian Cowen （左）在中国大使馆吊唁地震死难者

Irish President Mary McAleese (L) meets with visiting former Chinese Vice-Premier Huang Ju

PresidentPresident

symbolic Head of Statesymbolic Head of State

elected by direct popular voteelected by direct popular vote

term: 7 years; can be reelected onceterm: 7 years; can be reelected once

no executive functionsno executive functions

the Guardian of the Constitutionthe Guardian of the Constitution

The Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister Head of GovernmentHead of Government (head of the Irish Parliament)(head of the Irish Parliament) Executive power is vested in the prime Executive power is vested in the prime

minister, who heads the cabinet and preminister, who heads the cabinet and presides over its meetings. The prime minissides over its meetings. The prime minister, the deputy prime minister, and the ter, the deputy prime minister, and the minister for finance must be members ominister for finance must be members of the Dáil. The other government ministf the Dáil. The other government ministers must be members of either house, bers must be members of either house, but no more than two may be senators.ut no more than two may be senators.

LegislatureLegislature

Irish Parliament (Oireachtas)Irish Parliament (Oireachtas) two-chamber legislature:two-chamber legislature: the lower house (Dáil Éireann)the lower house (Dáil Éireann) the upper house (Seanad Éireann)the upper house (Seanad Éireann) MPs (Teachtai Dala)MPs (Teachtai Dala)

Irish Parliament

Leinster House (Irish Parliament)

The Spire of Dublin, also known as the Monument of Light, is 120 m tall

The Dáil Chamber

The Seanad Chamber

Election and VotingElection and Voting

electorate: 18 or aboveelectorate: 18 or above

electoral system: proportional electoral system: proportional representationrepresentation

Civil Service 16 government Civil Service 16 government departmentsdepartments

health services; pensions; health services; pensions; allowances; unemployment allowances; unemployment benefits; and other social benefits; and other social security paymentssecurity payments

Judiciary (legal system)Judiciary (legal system)

a compromise between the American and a compromise between the American and British systemBritish system

the Supreme Courtthe Supreme Courta high courta high court(a court of criminal appeal)(a court of criminal appeal)(a central criminal court)(a central criminal court)circuit courtscircuit courtsdistrict courtsdistrict courtsbased on the English common law traditionbased on the English common law traditionno death sentenceno death sentence

Supreme Court of Ireland

The Custom House

Form of government Republic

Head of state President

Head of government Prime Minister

Legislature Bicameral legislature:House of Representatives, 166 membersSenate, 60 members

Voting qualifications Universal at age 18

Constitution 29 December 1937; amended 1999

Highest court Supreme Court

Government of Ireland

ECONOMYECONOMY

A small, open, trade-dependent economyA small, open, trade-dependent economy

traditionally based on agriculture traditionally based on agriculture and the processing of agricultural and the processing of agricultural productsproducts

recent expansion and diversification recent expansion and diversification of industrial base and service sector of industrial base and service sector

IntroductionIntroduction

GDP in 2004 $181.6 billion GDP in 2004 $181.6 billion

services 56 % and industry 41 %services 56 % and industry 41 %

agriculture 3%agriculture 3%

mixed economy of private and public mixed economy of private and public ownership ownership

HistoryHistory

until the mid-20th century: heavy until the mid-20th century: heavy dependence on agriculture and dependence on agriculture and lack of economic opportunity lack of economic opportunity

membership in the EC and EUmembership in the EC and EU

by the mid-1990s: growing at a by the mid-1990s: growing at a rate of more than double the EU rate of more than double the EU average average

Grazing Sheep, Ireland Sheep graze in a fertile pasture on the central lowlands that border the Macgillicuddy’s Reeks, a mountain range in southwestern Ireland. As a result of abundant rainfall and moderate temperatures, the region has lengthy growing seasons and pastures that grow year-round.

Irish Fishing Village The small fishing village of Passage East is located on the southeastern coast of Ireland, at the neck of Waterford Harbor in the county of Wexford. The steep coastline here is typical of the county's landscape.

Microelectronics Industry in Ireland

The EU: Economic PoliciesThe EU: Economic Policies

transformationtransformation

“ “The Celtic Tiger”The Celtic Tiger”

inequalitiesinequalities

Changes: agricultureChanges: agriculture

labor forcelabor force

cooperationcooperation

The EU: Social PoliciesThe EU: Social Policies

social status of womensocial status of women

emigration and immigrationemigration and immigration

Ireland TodayIreland Today

great social changesgreat social changes moving toward a multinational moving toward a multinational

societysociety Problems:Problems:

urbanizationurbanization

inequalitiesinequalities

corruptioncorruption

lack of public facilitieslack of public facilities

Irish Economy

Bank of Ireland building

O'Connell St is the main shopping strip in the city, and is one of Europe's widest streets

A pub in Temple Bar, decorated in anticipation of St Patrick's Day

Statue of James Joyce in the shopping mall

The River Liffey runs through the centre of Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin, was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I

Parliament Square in Trinity College contains the famous campanile

University College Dublin, Ireland's largest university, is located on the outskirts of the city

Assignment for Unit 12Assignment for Unit 12

Try to make a comparison between Try to make a comparison between the Irish government and British the Irish government and British government in one of the three government in one of the three branches of executive, legislative branches of executive, legislative and judiciary powers and distinguish and judiciary powers and distinguish their similarities and differences in their similarities and differences in the category.the category.