Ireland is a parliamentary republic, meaning that the head of state is a president who is elected by popular vote for a seven-year term and the head of government is a prime minister who is appointed by the president on the nomination of the Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament).
The government is made up of the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, and the cabinet. The cabinet is responsible for running the government and is accountable to the Dáil Éireann.
The Dáil Éireann is composed of 160 members who are elected by proportional representation from constituencies throughout the country. The Dáil Éireann meets in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.
The Seanad Éireann (the upper house of parliament) is composed of 60 members who are elected by various groups, including the National University of Ireland, the University of Dublin, vocational interests, agricultural interests, and cultural and social interests. The Seanad Éireann meets in Dublin.
The government in Ireland is based on the principle of separation of powers. This means that the three branches of government—the executive, the legislative, and the judicial—are independent of each other.
The executive branch of government is responsible for carrying out the laws of the country. The executive branch is headed by the prime minister and the cabinet.
The legislative branch of government is responsible for making laws. The legislative branch is made up of the Dáil Éireann and the Seanad Éireann.
The judicial branch of government is responsible for interpreting the laws of the country. The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the District Court.
The government in Ireland is a system of checks and balances. This means that each branch of government has the ability to limit the power of the other branches. This system helps to ensure that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.
