What does the current Irish prime minister do?

Answer 1

The Irish head of government is known as the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach must be appointed from among the members of Dáil Éireann which is what the Irish Parliament is known as. The Taoiseach nominates the remaining members of the Government, who are then, with the consent of the Dáil, appointed by the President. The Taoiseach also has authority to have fellow members of the cabinet dismissed from office. He or she is further responsible for appointing eleven members of the Senate - the upper house of government. The Taoiseach also nominates the Attorney General for appointment by the President. The Taoiseach also has the power to advise the President to accept the resignation of Ministers. The Taoiseach, as head of the Government, is the central co-ordinator of the work of the Ministers and their Departments of State. The Taoiseach also advises and guides the other members of the Government when faced particularly with issues requiring the successful working of the Government as a collective authority responsible to Dáil Éireann. The Taoiseach will set broad Government policy. The Taoiseach keeps the President informed on domestic and international policy. The Taoiseach has certain statutory responsibilities for the reform of the law, for official statistics and for the administration of public services which are not the responsibility of any other member of the Government. The Taoiseach answers questions in the Dáil where broad policy is concerned, or where issues specific to his department are concerned. The Taoiseach may also sponsor legislation which represents important new developments.

In the event that the Taoiseach loses the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann, he is not automatically removed from office but, rather, is compelled either to resign or to persuade the President to dissolve the Dáil. The President may refuse to grant a dissolution, and, in effect, force the Taoiseach to resign, but, to date, no president has exercised this prerogative.

An election must be held for Dáil Éireann at least once every 5 years, after which candidates for Taoiseach are nominated and voted upon. A Taoiseach can serve over several Dáil terms and a new Taoiseach can be elected at times other than after a general election. A change of Taoiseach doesn't necessarily mean that there is a general election, as it is within the power of the Dáil to vote on a new candidate for the position as Taoiseach.

Answer 2

A prime minister heads the government. They are not the head of state. A prime minister appoints the ministers for the government. They will usually chair cabinet meetings, which are the meetings of all of the ministers. They are usually the head of their political party. They will often represent the government at meetings with other countries or as part of visits to other countries.

Answer 3

The head of government in Ireland is known as a Taoiseach is not a prime minister. If you click on the link below you will get information on the role of a Taoiseach.