President of Ireland
The president of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces.
This article is about the head of state of modern Ireland. For the president of the 1919–1922 revolutionary Irish Republic, see President of Dáil Éireann.President of Ireland
President (A Uachtaráin) or
Your Excellency (A Shoilse)
Dublin, Ireland
Members of the Oireachtas or local councils
Seven years
(renewable once)
25 June 1938
€249,014 annually[1]
The president holds office for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms.[2] The president is elected directly by the people, although there is no poll if only one candidate is nominated, which has occurred on six occasions, most recently in 2004. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the president does exercise certain limited powers with absolute discretion which have constitutional importance. The president acts as a representative of the Irish state and guardian of the constitution. The president's official residence is Áras an Uachtaráin in Phoenix Park, Dublin. The office was established by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. The first president assumed office in 1938, and became recognised internationally as head of state in 1949 after the coming into effect of the Republic of Ireland Act.
The current president is Michael D. Higgins, who was first elected on 29 October 2011, and inaugurated on 11 November 2011. He was re-elected for a second term on 26 October 2018.
The president is directly elected by secret ballot using the instant-runoff voting, the single-winner analogue of the single transferable vote.[n 1] Under the Presidential Elections Act, 1993 a candidate's election formally takes place in the form of a 'declaration' by the returning officer.[30] Where more than one candidate is nominated, the election is 'adjourned' so that a ballot can take place, allowing the electors to choose between candidates. A presidential election is held in time for the winner to take office the day after the end of the incumbent's seven-year term. In the event of premature vacancy, an election must be held within sixty days.[2]
Only resident Irish citizens aged eighteen or more may vote; a 1983 bill to extend the right to resident British citizens was ruled unconstitutional.[31]
Candidates must be Irish citizens and over 35 years old.[32][33] There is a discrepancy between the English- and Irish-language texts of Article 12.4.1°. According to the English text, an eligible candidate "has reached his thirty-fifth year of age", whereas the Irish text states "ag a bhfuil cúig bliana tríochad slán (has completed his thirty-five years)". Because a person's thirty-fifth year of life begins on their thirty-fourth birthday, this means there is a year's difference between the minimum ages as stated in the two texts. However, the Irish version of the subsection prevails in accordance with the rule stated in Article 25.5.4°. Various proposals have been made to amend the Constitution so as to eliminate this discrepancy.[34] The 29th government introduced the Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015 to reduce the age of candidacy from 35 to 21, which was put to referendum in May 2015;[35][36] the bill was heavily defeated, with approximately 73% of voters voting against.
Presidents can serve a maximum of two terms, consecutive or otherwise.[3] They must be nominated by one of the following:[3]
Where only one candidate is nominated, the candidate is deemed elected without the need for a ballot.[33] For this reason, where there is a consensus among political parties not to have a contest, the president may be 'elected' without the occurrence of an actual ballot. Since the establishment of the office this has occurred on six occasions.
The most recent presidential election was held on 26 October 2018.
Impeachment and removal from office[edit]
The president can be removed from office in two ways, neither of which has ever been invoked. The Supreme Court, in a sitting of at least five judges, may find the president "permanently incapacitated",[2] while the Oireachtas may remove the president for "stated misbehaviour".[40] Either house of the Oireachtas may instigate the latter process by passing an impeachment resolution, provided at least thirty members move it and at least two-thirds support it. The other house will then either investigate the stated charges or commission a body to do so; following which at least two-thirds of members must agree both that the president is guilty and that the charges warrant removal.[40]
