Taoiseach

The Taoiseach (), also referred to as An Taoiseach (),Keeping the Irish definite article an  instead of English the. is the head of the government in Ireland.  The term prime minister is not used by the Irish media.

 Appointment 

When a new Dáil Éireann meets after an election it nominates one of its members to be Taoiseach.  He then visits the President, and is appointed.  He then presents a list of ministers to the Dáil and when this is approved they are also appointed by the President.

If the Taoiseach resigns all members of the government are said to have resigned as well.  If a minister does not resign when asked by the Taoiseach, the Taoiseach can ask the President to sack the minister.  The President cannot refuse to do this.

 Department of the Taoiseach 
The Department of the Taoiseach helps the Taoiseach to do his job.  The main duty of the Taoiseach is to start policy and coordinate policy of the rest of government.  Especially policies on Economic and Social Development, Northern Ireland, the European Union and Public Sector Change and Oireachtas Reform.

The Government Chief Whip, who has to make sure the government's policies and ideas are turned into law, is a part of the Taoiseach's department.

The current Taoiseach is Simon Harris since 9 April 2024.

List
President of the Executive CouncilPortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officePartyExec. CouncilVice PresidentDáil(elected)1 W. T. Cosgrave19221932Sinn Féin1stKevin O'Higgins3 Cumann na nGaedheal2nd4 3rdErnest Blythe5 4th6 5th2 Éamon de Valera19321937Fianna Fáil6thSeán T. O'Kelly7 7th8 8th9 TaoiseachPortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officePartyGovernmentTánaisteDáil(elected) Éamon de Valera19371948Fianna Fáil1stSeán T. O'Kelly9 2nd10 3rd11 4thSeán Lemass12 3 John A. Costello19481951Fine Gael5thWilliam Norton13  Éamon de Valera19511954Fianna Fáil6thSeán Lemass14  John A. Costello19541957Fine Gael7thWilliam Norton15  Éamon de Valera19571959Fianna Fáil8thSeán Lemass16 4 Seán Lemass19591966Fianna Fáil9thSeán MacEntee10th17 11thFrank Aiken18 5 Jack Lynch19661973Fianna Fáil12th13thErskine H. Childers19 6 Liam Cosgrave19731977Fine Gael14thBrendan Corish20  Jack Lynch19771979Fianna Fáil15thGeorge Colley21 7 Charles Haughey19791981Fianna Fáil16th8 Garret FitzGerald19811982Fine Gael17thMichael O'Leary22  Charles Haughey19821982Fianna Fáil18thRay MacSharry23  Garret FitzGerald19821987Fine Gael19thDick Spring24 Peter Barry Charles Haughey19871992Fianna Fáil20thBrian Lenihan25 21st26 John Wilson9 Albert Reynolds19921994Fianna Fáil22nd23rdDick Spring27 Bertie Ahern10 John Bruton19941997Fine Gael24thDick Spring11 Bertie Ahern19972008Fianna Fáil25thMary Harney28 26th29 Michael McDowell27thBrian Cowen30 12 Brian Cowen20082011Fianna Fáil28thMary Coughlan13 Enda Kenny20112017Fine Gael29thEamon Gilmore31 Joan Burton30thFrances Fitzgerald32 14 Leo Varadkar20172020Fine Gael31st Simon Coveney15   Micheál Martin 20202022 Fianna Fáil 32nd  Leo Varadkar 33  Leo Varadkar20222024Fine Gael33rd Micheál Martin16 Simon Harris2024IncumbentFine Gael34th 

 Notes 

 References 


Category:Government of the Republic of Ireland
Category:Government occupations