President of Ireland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of Ireland
Presidential Standard
Presidential Seal
Incumbent Michael D. Higgins since 11 November 2011
Executive branch of the Irish Government Office of the President
Style	President (A Uachtaráin) or Your Excellency (A Shoilse)
Residence	Áras an Uachtaráin
Seat	Dublin, Ireland
Nominator	Members of the Oireachtas or local councils
Appointer	Direct popular vote by Instant-runoff voting
Term length	Seven years (renewable once)
Constituting instrument	Articles 12−14, Constitution of Ireland
Precursor	Governor-General of the Irish Free State
Inaugural holder	Douglas Hyde
Formation	25 June 1938
Salary	€249,014 annually

The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland. This means they are the official leader and symbol of the country. The president is also the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces, which are Ireland's armed forces.

The president holds office for seven years. They can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The people of Ireland directly elect the president. However, if only one person is nominated, no election is needed. This has happened six times, most recently in 2004.

The presidency is mostly a ceremonial role. This means the president performs important duties but usually follows the advice of the government. However, the president does have some special powers they can use on their own. The president represents Ireland on the world stage.

The president's official home is Áras an Uachtaráin. It is located in Phoenix Park, Dublin. The office of president was created by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. The first president took office in 1938. The president became known internationally as the head of state in 1949. This happened after the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into effect.

The current president is Michael D. Higgins. He was first elected on 29 October 2011. He started his first term on 11 November 2011. He was re-elected for a second term on 26 October 2018.

What the President Does: Daily Duties

Ireland has a parliamentary system of government. This means the president's role is mainly ceremonial. The president is one of three parts of the Oireachtas (national parliament). The other two parts are Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).

Unlike many other countries with presidents, Ireland's president is not the main boss of the government. The government (cabinet) holds the main power. However, the government must keep the president informed about important decisions. Most of the president's duties are done by following the Constitution's rules or the government's advice. But the president does have a few special powers they can use on their own.

Key Constitutional Roles

The Constitution gives the president several important jobs:

• Appointing the Government: The president officially appoints the taoiseach (Ireland's head of government). The Dáil chooses the taoiseach, and the president must appoint that person. Other ministers are appointed based on the taoiseach's choice and the Dáil's approval. The president cannot refuse these appointments.
• Appointing Judges: The president appoints judges to all Irish courts. They do this based on the government's advice.
• Calling and Ending Dáil Meetings: The president can call for the Dáil to meet or end its session. This is done on the taoiseach's advice. The president can only refuse to end the Dáil's session if the taoiseach has lost the Dáil's support.
• Signing Bills into Law: The president signs new laws after the Dáil and Seanad approve them. This is mostly a ceremonial duty. The president cannot stop a bill from becoming law. However, they can ask the Supreme Court to check if a bill follows the Constitution. If the Supreme Court says it is unconstitutional, the president can refuse to sign it.
• Representing Ireland Abroad: The president represents Ireland in other countries. This is done on the government's advice. The president welcomes foreign diplomats and signs official papers for ambassadors.
• Commander of the Defence Forces: The president is the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces. This role is similar to a commander-in-chief. The president signs the official papers for army officers. This is a formal role, with the government making the real decisions.
• Granting Pardons: The president has the power to pardon people or reduce their punishments. This power is used rarely, usually in cases where someone was wrongly convicted.

Other Important Roles

The president also has other duties given by law or tradition:

• Appointing State Officials: The president appoints certain officials, like the head of the Central Bank of Ireland and the Ombudsman.
• Leading the Irish Red Cross: The president is the honorary head of the Irish Red Cross Society.
• Patron of Gaisce: The president is the patron of Gaisce – The President's Award. This award encourages young people to challenge themselves.
• Supporting Charities: Presidents often support many charities in Ireland. The charities they choose depend on their own goals for their time in office.

Special Rules for the President

• The president needs the government's permission to leave Ireland.
• Any official message the president sends "to the nation" or to the Oireachtas must be approved by the government first. However, the president can give other speeches without government approval. Presidents usually avoid directly criticizing the government.

President's Special Powers

The president has some special powers they can use on their own. These are called "reserve powers."

Powers Used Alone

The president can use these powers without needing advice from the government:

• Refusing to Dissolve the Dáil: If a taoiseach loses the support of the Dáil, they must resign. But they can ask the president to dissolve the Dáil first, which means calling a new election. The president can refuse this request. If the president refuses, the taoiseach must resign right away. This power has never been used.
• Appointing Council of State Members: The president can appoint up to seven members to the Council of State. They can also remove or replace these members.

Powers Used After Talking to the Council of State

Before using some reserve powers, the president must talk to the Council of State. However, the president does not have to follow the Council's advice.

• Referring Bills to the Supreme Court: The president can send a bill (a proposed law) to the Supreme Court. This is to check if it follows the Constitution. If the Supreme Court finds any part of the bill unconstitutional, the whole bill fails. This power is used quite often.
• Referring Bills to the People: In rare cases, the president can ask the people to vote on a bill in a referendum. This can happen if a majority of the Seanad and one-third of the Dáil ask for it. This power has never been used.
• Addressing the Oireachtas: The president can speak to, or send a message to, one or both houses of the Oireachtas. The government must approve the message first.
• Addressing the Nation: The president can send a message directly to the people of Ireland. This also needs government approval. This power has never been used for major messages, though presidents give general greetings like Christmas messages.

How a President is Chosen

The president is chosen by a direct vote using a system called instant-runoff voting. This means voters rank candidates in order of preference. An election happens before the current president's seven-year term ends. If the president's office becomes empty early, a new election must be held within 60 days.

To vote, you must be an Irish citizen and at least 18 years old.

To become a candidate for president, you must be an Irish citizen and at least 35 years old. Presidents can serve a maximum of two terms.

Candidates must be nominated by:

• At least 20 members of the Oireachtas (Ireland's parliament).
• At least four county or city councils.
• Themselves, if they are the current president or a former president who has served one term.

If only one person is nominated, that person becomes president without an election. This has happened six times since the office was created. The most recent presidential election was held on 26 October 2018.

When There is No President

Ireland does not have a vice president. If the president's office becomes empty early, a new president must be elected within 60 days. If the president is away or unable to do their job, a special group called the presidential commission takes over. This group includes the chief justice, the speaker of the Dáil (called the Ceann Comhairle), and the chairperson of the Seanad (called the cathaoirleach).

The presidential commission often carries out routine duties, like signing bills, when the president is traveling abroad. The president's term officially ends at midnight the day before the new president is sworn in. So, the commission handles duties during that short time.

The presidency has become empty three times: when Erskine Hamilton Childers died in office in 1974, and when Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (1976) and Mary Robinson (1997) resigned.

President's Home, Greetings, and Title

Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of the president.

The president's official home is Áras an Uachtaráin in Phoenix Park, Dublin. This large building used to be the home of British governors in Ireland.

People usually refer to the president as 'President' or 'Uachtarán'. The formal way to address the president is His Excellency or Her Excellency (Irish: A Shoilse/A Soilse). When speaking to the president, you might say 'Your Excellency' (Irish: A Shoilse) or simply 'President' (Irish: A Uachtaráin). The special music played for the president, called the Presidential Salute, comes from the first and last parts of Ireland's National Anthem, "Amhrán na bhFiann".

Becoming President: The Inauguration

The inauguration ceremony is when the new president officially takes office. It happens the day after the previous president's term ends. All inaugurations have taken place in Saint Patrick's Hall in Dublin Castle.

This important ceremony is shown live on national TV and radio. Key figures from the government, parliament, and courts attend. Ambassadors from other countries and other guests are also there.

During the ceremony, the president takes an oath of office in public. This is a promise to serve the country.

Removing a President from Office

A president can be removed from office in two ways, though neither has ever happened.

• The Supreme Court can decide that the president is "permanently incapacitated" (unable to do their job).
• The Oireachtas (parliament) can remove the president for "stated misbehaviour." One house of parliament can start this process if at least 30 members agree. Then, at least two-thirds of that house must vote for it. The other house then investigates. If two-thirds of that house also agree the president is guilty and should be removed, the president is removed.

Security and Transport

The Inauguration of Seán T. O'Kelly in 1945. The 2nd Cavalry Squadron of the Blue Hussars escorted the president.

As head of state, the president receives the highest level of protection in Ireland. Áras an Uachtaráin is guarded by armed police and army personnel. The president always travels with armed security from a special police unit.

The president's official car is a dark navy blue Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It has the presidential flag on one side and the Irish flag on the other. When the president travels, the car is surrounded by other security cars and police motorcycles.

For ceremonial events, the president uses a special 1947 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith car. The president also has access to Irish Air Corps helicopters and private jets if needed.

History of the Presidency

The office of president was created in 1937. It replaced the role of the governor-general, who represented the British King. The idea for a seven-year term came from the presidents of Germany at that time. Some people worried that the new office might lead to a dictatorship, but this did not happen. Presidents have generally played a quiet, non-political role.

Head of State from 1937 to 1949

From 1937 to 1949, it was a bit unclear who was the true head of state: the President of Ireland or George VI, the King of Ireland. The 1937 Constitution didn't say the president was head of state. However, the King of Ireland represented the country in foreign affairs. This meant other countries saw the King as Ireland's head of state.

This confusion ended in 1949. The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 declared Ireland a republic. It transferred the role of representing Ireland abroad from the King to the president.

How the Role Changed

For many years, presidents were usually older, respected politicians from the Fianna Fáil party. They kept the presidency a quiet, ceremonial role. People often tried to avoid presidential elections to save money and avoid distractions.

However, there have been some important moments. In 1976, President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh resigned after a disagreement with the government. In 1982, President Patrick Hillery refused to take calls from opposition leaders. They were trying to influence his decision about dissolving the Dáil. Hillery saw this as wrong and stood firm. These events showed the importance and independence of the office.

The presidency really changed in the 1990s. Mary Robinson became the seventh president in 1990. She was the first woman president and the first not from Fianna Fáil. Robinson made the office less political. She also used the presidency to build connections with other countries and cultures, especially the Irish diaspora (Irish people living abroad). She focused on global issues like poverty and human rights. Her successor, Mary McAleese, continued this active role.

Salary and Expenses

The president's official salary is €249,014 per year. The current president, Michael D. Higgins, chooses to receive this amount, even though he is entitled to a higher figure. The president also receives money for expenses. The total budget for the Office of the President in 2017 was about €3.9 million. This included money for running costs and a special payment given to people who turn 100 years old.

The president's salary cannot be cut during their term in office. This rule helps ensure the president's independence from the government.

List of Presidents of Ireland

The presidential commission carried out the president's duties before Douglas Hyde was elected in 1938. They also did so during the times the office was empty in 1974, 1976, and 1997.

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Previous service	Term of office			Nominated by		Election
				Took office (00:00)	Left office (24:00)	Time in office
1		Douglas Hyde (1860–1949)	Senator (1922–1925, 1938)	25 June 1938	24 June 1945	7 years		Fianna Fáil	1938
								Fine Gael
2		Seán T. O'Kelly (1882–1966)	Tánaiste (1932–1945)	25 June 1945	24 June 1959	14 years		Fianna Fáil	1945
								Himself	1952
3		Éamon de Valera (1882–1975)	Taoiseach (1932–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1959)	25 June 1959	24 June 1973	14 years		Fianna Fáil	1959
								Himself	1966
4		Erskine Hamilton Childers (1905–1974)	Tánaiste (1969–1973)	25 June 1973	17 November 1974	1 year, 145 days		Fianna Fáil	1973
5		Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (1911–1978)	Chief Justice of Ireland (1961–1973)	19 December 1974	22 October 1976	1 year, 308 days		All-party nomination	1974
6		Patrick Hillery (1923–2008)	European Commissioner for Social Affairs (1973–1976)	3 December 1976	2 December 1990	14 years		Fianna Fáil	1976
								Himself	1983
7		Mary Robinson (born 1944)	Senator (1969–1989)	3 December 1990	12 September 1997	6 years, 283 days		Labour Party	1990
								Workers' Party
								Independent
8		Mary McAleese (born 1951)	Professor of Criminal law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin	11 November 1997	10 November 2011	14 years		Fianna Fáil	1997
								Progressive Democrats
								Herself	2004
9		Michael D. Higgins (born 1941)	Minister for Arts, Culture and Gaeltacht (1993–1997)	11 November 2011	Incumbent	13 years, 225 days		Labour Party	2011
								Himself	2018

Former presidents who are able and willing to act are members of the Council of State.

Presidential Facts

• Douglas Hyde was the oldest president to start his term, at 78 years old.
• Éamon de Valera was the oldest president to leave office, at 90 years old.
• Mary McAleese was the youngest president to start her term, at 46 years old.
• Mary Robinson was the youngest president to leave office, at 53 years old. She was also the first woman to be president.
• Erskine Childers had the shortest presidency, serving for 511 days before he passed away in office.
• Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh served for 674 days before he resigned.
• Four presidents have served for two terms, which is 14 years in total: Seán T. O'Kelly, Éamon de Valera, Patrick Hillery, and Mary McAleese.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Irlanda para niños

• President of the Irish Republic
• Gaisce – The President's Award
• Seal of the president of Ireland
• Presidential standard of Ireland
• Secretary-General to the President (Ireland)
• Warrant of appointment