Politics of Ireland facts for kids
The island of Ireland has two main political parts:
- The Republic of Ireland, which is an independent country. It covers about five-sixths of the island. Its capital city is Dublin.
- Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. It is in the northeast of the island. Its capital city is Belfast.
These two parts of Ireland have been governed separately since 1922, after the Anglo-Irish Treaty. A special agreement called the Good Friday Agreement was made in 1998. This agreement set up ways for both parts of Ireland to work together. It also helped Northern Ireland get back its own local government, though some big decisions are still made by the UK government.
So, there are three main governments that look after Ireland:
- For Northern Ireland:
- The Government of the United Kingdom (for some big decisions)
- The Northern Ireland Executive (for most local matters)
- For the Republic of Ireland:
- The Government of Ireland (for all matters)
Both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom are also part of the European Union.
Contents
Working Together: The Good Friday Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement is a very important peace agreement signed in 1998. It helped bring peace to Northern Ireland and set up ways for the different parts of Ireland to work together. This agreement created three main groups to help the governments cooperate:
- North/South Ministerial Council
- British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference
- North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association
North/South Ministerial Council
The North/South Ministerial Council helps the governments of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland agree on and carry out plans. They work together on at least 12 different topics. For example, they might agree on transport rules, but each side puts those rules into action in their own area. They also work together on things like food safety, which is handled by a group that works for the whole island, called the Food Safety Promotion Board.
British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference
The British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference is a meeting place for the governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Here, they talk about things that are important to both of them, including how Northern Ireland is governed.
North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association
The North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association is a group made up of politicians from the Republic of Ireland's parliament (the Oireachtas) and the Northern Ireland Assembly. They meet to discuss shared issues. The Good Friday Agreement also planned for a group of everyday people to give advice, but this group has not been set up yet.
If Northern Ireland's local government stops working for any reason, the UK government and the Republic of Ireland government will discuss Northern Ireland's matters through the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
Political Parties and Other Groups
Some political parties work across the whole island of Ireland. These include Sinn Féin, the Green Party, and more recently, Fianna Fáil. However, only Sinn Féin and the Green Party have run in elections and won seats in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Many other important groups also work across the whole island. These include trade unions, like the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and different churches.
