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Data code: EI
Government type: republic
Capital: Dublin?
Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow?, Cavan?, Clare?, Cork?, Donegal?, Dublin?, Galway?, Kerry?, Kildare?, Kilkenny?, Laois?, Leitrim?, Limerick, Longford?, Louth?, Mayo, Meath?, Monaghan?, Offaly?, Roscommon?, Sligo?, Tipperary?, Waterford?, Westmeath?, Wexford?, Wicklow
Independence: [6 December]? 1921? (from UK by treaty)
National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution: [29 December]? 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite
Legal system: based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President [Mary MCALEESE]? (since 11 November 1997)
head of government:
Prime Minister [Bertie AHERN]? (since 26 June 1997)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held [31 October]? 1997 (next to be held NA November 2004); prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president
election results:
Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, [Mary BANOTTI]? 29.6%
note:
government coalition - [Fianna Fail]? and the [Progressive Democrats]?
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections:
Senate - last held NA August 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); House of Representatives - last held 6 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - [Fianna Fail]? 29, [Fine Gael]? 16, [Labor Party]? 4, [Progressive Democrats]? 4, others 7; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fianna Fail 76, Fine Gael 53, Labor Party 19, Progressive Democrats 4, [Democratic Left]? 4, [Green Alliance]? 2, [Sinn Fein]? 1, independents 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president on the advice of the government (prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Ireland [Michael O'RIORDAN]; Democratic Left [Proinsias DE ROSSA]; Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [John BRUTON]; Green Alliance [Patricia HOWARD]; Labor Party [Ruairi QUINN]; Progressive Democrats [Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; The Workers' Party [Marion DONNELLY]
International organization participation: [Australia Group]?, BIS?, CCC?, CE?, EBRD?, ECE?, EIB?, EMU?, ESA?, EU, FAO?, AEA?, IBRD?, ICAO?, ICC, ICFTU?, ICRM?, IDA?, IEA?, IFAD?, IFC?, IFRCS?, ILO?, IMF?, IMO?, Intelsat?, Interpol?, IOC, IOM? (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO?, NAM? (guest), NEA?, NSG?, OECD, OPCW?, OSCE?, UN, UNCTAD?, UNESCO, UNFICYP?, UNHCR?, UNIDO?, UNIFIL?, UNIKOM?, UNITAR?, UNMIBH?, UNMIK?, UNMOP?, UNTAET?, UNTSO?, UPU, WEU? (observer), WHO?, WIPO, WMO?, WTrO?, ZC?
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Sean O'HUIGINN
chancery:
2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 462-3939
FAX:
[1] (202) 232-5993
consulate(s) general:
Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael SULLIVAN
embassy:
42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin? 4
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[353] (1) 668-7122
FAX:
[353] (1) 668-9946
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of [[Cote d'Ivoire]], which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red