Taoiseach

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Taoiseach (generally pronounced "tee-shoch", where the "ch" sounds as in "loch", though some speakers of Donegal Gaelic pronounce it as "tee-shah"; plural: Taoisigh, pronounced "tee-she") is the title of Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland. The office, whose title literally means The Chief or The Leader (though translated in the constitution as 'prime minister') was created in [[Bunreacht na h�ireann]], the Irish constitutution adopted in 1937 and drafted by Eamon de Valera. The Taoiseach's Deputy is called [[T�naiste]] (pronounced pronounced Taw-nish-ta). Both terms have ancient gaelic origins, though some historians dispute their precise meanings; some suggest a taoiseach was a minor king, while a t�naiste was governor placed in a kingdom whose king had been deposed.

The current taoiseach is Bertie Ahern of the [[Fianna F�il]] party. He heads a [[Fianna F�il]]/Progressive Democrat coalition government, which was re-elected in the Irish general election, 2002.

There have been two different heads of government since 1922, when the first independent Irish state, the Irish Free State was internationally recognised. Under the 1922 Constitution drafted by Michael Collins, the title of prime minister was "President of the Executive Council". That office held considerably less power than the modern taoiseach. For example, he could not dismiss a government minister. (The government, known in the 1922 Constitution as the Executive Council had to be disbanded and reformed to drop a minister.) He personally also could not seek a dissolution of [[D�il �ireann]] from the Governor-General; that power belonged collectively to the Executive Council.

The Taoiseach under the 1937 [[Bunreacht na h�ireann]] possesses a much more powerful role than that of the President of the Executive Council. He chooses ministers, who once approved by [[D�il �ireann]] are appointed by the President of Ireland. He can instruct the President to dismiss ministers. (Among the most famous dismissals are Charles J. Haughey and Neil Blaney in 1970, Brian Lenihan in 1990 and Albert Reynolds, Padraig Flynn and [[M�ire Geoghegan-Quinn]] in 1991. The Irish cabinet, called the 'Government', consists of no fewer than seven and no more than fifteen ministers. The Taoiseach, the T�naiste and the Minister for Finance, must be members of [[D�il �ireann]]. One or two ministers may be appointed from [[Seanad �ireann]], the Irish Senate. (In reality, since 1937, only two members of the Seanad have been appointed to the Government.)

The Taoiseach also appoints eleven members of [[Seanad �ireann]], the sixty member Irish Senate.

Once appointed, a Taoiseach cannot be forced automatically to resign. He can however be forced either to resign or request the President grant a parliamentary dissolution, if either a Motion of Confidence is defeated or a Motion of No Confidence passed by [[D�il �ireann]]. Alternatively D�il �ireann may "refuse supply" (ie, deny government funds from the Exchequer). Such a situation occurred in January 1982 when the Fine Gael/Labour government of Garret FitzGerald was defeated in a D�il vote on the budget.

The President may, under Article 13.2.2. of [[Bunreacht na h�ireann]] "in his absolute discretion" refuse to dissolve [[D�il �ireann]] on the advice of a Taoiseach who has "ceased to retain the support of a majority in D�il �ireann." In that event, the Taoiseach, under Article 28.10 is obliged to submit his resignation to the President. No President to date has refused a dissolution of [[D�il �ireann]].

(Where a multi-party or coalition government existed, the Taoiseach came from the first party in the list. The exception is John A. Costello, who was not leader of his party, but an agreed choice to head the government, because the other parties refused to accept then Fine Gael Leader Richard Mulcahy as Taoiseach.)

Taoisigh na h�ireann

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
1.	Eamon de Valera	December 29, 1937	18 February, 1948	[[Fianna F�il]]
2.	John A. Costello	February 18, 1948	June 13, 1951	Fine Gael
	Eamon de Valera (2nd time)	June 13, 1951	June 2, 1954	[[Fianna F�il]]
	John A. Costello (2nd time)	June 2, 1954	March 20, 1957	Fine Gael
	Eamon de Valera (3rd time)	March 20, 1957	June 23, 1959	[[Fianna F�il]]
3.	Sean Lemass	June 23, 1959	November 10, 1966	[[Fianna F�il]]
4.	Jack Lynch	November 10, 1966	March 14, 1973	[[Fianna F�il]]
5.	Liam Cosgrave	March 14, 1973	July 5, 1977	Fine Gael
	Jack Lynch (2nd time)	July 5, 1977	December 11, 1979	[[Fianna F�il]]
6.	Charles J. Haughey	December 11, 1979	June 30, 1981	[[Fianna F�il]]
7.	Garret FitzGerald	June 30, 1981	March 9, 1982	Fine Gael
	Charles J. Haughey (2nd time)	March 9, 1982	December 14, 1982	[[Fianna F�il]]
	Garret FitzGerald (2nd time)	December 14, 1982	March 10, 1987	Fine Gael
	Charles J. Haughey (3rd time)	March 10, 1987	February 11, 1992	[[Fianna F�il]]
8.	Albert Reynolds	February 11, 1992	December 15, 1994	[[Fianna F�il]]
9.	John Bruton	December 15, 1994	June 26, 1997	Fine Gael
10.	Bertie Ahern	June 26, 1997	present	[[Fianna F�il]]

Taoiseach

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