Geographical & Political Island

In 1921 the island of Ireland was divided into two parts when the Anglo-Irish treaty was formed and the majority of the country became independent of British rule. The southern part of the country comprises of twenty six counties known as the Republic of Ireland which is self governing. Northern Ireland comprises of six counties and is governed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and the UK Parliament. There has been a long history of unrest between the two states, however today there is a concerted effort to promote partnership and cooperation between the North and South where economic, social and cultural relations are nurtured.

The Republic of Ireland

26 counties as the Republic of Ireland.

This map shows the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland

Image provided by Findmeaconference.com

26 counties as the Republic of Ireland.
Image provided by Findmeaconference.com

26 counties as the Republic of Ireland.

This map shows the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland

Image provided by Findmeaconference.com

Enlarge image

Ireland is run as a democracy and is governed by the President (the Head of State) who is elected by the Irish people in a general election. Ireland is also governed by the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) which follows the laws set out by the Constitution and is led by An Taoiseach (the Head of Government). The Taoiseach also communicates all matters concerning the government to the President.

The main political parties represented in the Oireachtas:

Fine Gael
Fianna Fáil
Labour Party
Sinn Féin
United Left Alliance
Socialist Party
People Before Profit Alliance
Workers Unemployed Action Group
Independents

The Oireachtas is divided into two houses of parliament, Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) which comprises of 166 members or TDs ( Teachta Dála). The members are elected on a system of proportional representation by a general election. A general election to Dáil Éireann must be held at least every five years by law. The other house is Seanad Éireann (Senate) and has sixty members, eleven of whom are nominated by An Taoiseach, the rest are elected by vocational panels and university graduates.

Northern Ireland

Although the Queen of United Kingdom is still considered to be the Head of State and the Prime Minister is considered the Head of Government, Northern Ireland is actually a devolved state. This means that the UK has transferred the majority of its power to Northern Ireland so important decisions regarding legislation affecting the entire population are made by its Northern Ireland political representatives known as the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Assembly consists of 108 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who are all publically elected.

The Northern Ireland Executive is essentially the devolved government of Northern Ireland which exercises authority on behalf of the Assembly and makes decisions on economic and social matters, agriculture and rural development, culture, arts, education, health, social services and public safety. The committee consists of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister as well as ten ministers representing the government departments. The Assembly and the Executive were established under the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.