1. Democracy The learning objectives are to understand more about;
Definition
Constitution and Irish symbols
The president and the Seanad
The Dail and TD’s
The departments
Making laws
Voting and types of elections. Student councils.
Northern Ireland and the peace process.

2. Democracy
Is a form of government where the people get to vote for leaders to represent them in power.
The constitution: is a document on how our country is to be ruled. Irish people accepted it in Each article is rule on how to run Ireland.
Articles 1-28 say what is meant by the state and the role of our president and government
Articles 29 to 50 explain International agreements, role of advisors, how the courts will run, people's rights and welfare and how the constitution can only be changed by a special vote to the people called.a referendum.
P164 world map of governments

4. President and The Seanad
Our government overall is called the oireachtas and includes the Irish Parliament, the President, the Seanad and the Dail.
President: 7 yrs 14yrs max. Home in Aras an Uachtarain Phoenix park. Oath p167
Signs bills into laws
Sends a bill to the Supreme Court if not happy with it
Represents Ireland abroad
Supreme commander of the defence forces

6. The Seanad and the Dail
60 senators elected by people who hold college degrees. They debate bills and bring forth bills. Meet with their party. Also lobbying goes on.
The Dail is made up of the Taoiseach and his/her ministers and the attorney general which is called the cabinet. The Dail is also the house for opposition parties like Sinn Fein and independent t politicians who are not in a party.
The largest parties in Ireland are Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and they formed a government with independent alliance under Shane Ross. Leo Varadkar is the new Taoiseach after Enda Kenny of FG stepped down. After a large general election across the country a government is formed by the candidates and party with the most votes from the Irish people.
TD’s are the people we see in the house of the Dail arguing and discussing issues. The TD is the link back to the local community and the government.

7. Life of a TD in Dail Eireann
Form committees, votes and passes bills and laws.
Offers advice to locals
Speaks at meetings and ceremonies
Tries to make a difference .
Taoiseach Leo is the leader and he chairs meetings of cabinet, chooses timeof a general election, selects 11/60 senators, chooses ministers. Tanasite Simon Covney takes over in Leo’s absence.

9. Government Department
Departments have changed since the last general election and you need to click on or merrionstreet.ie or oireachtas.ie. Ministers have also changed since Leo became Taoiseach this year so use the website or google rather than the book for updates. First Taoiseach was William T Cosgrave in 1922 after the 1921 treaty with England.
Attorney General: Gives cabinet advise on legal matters
Chief whip: sets the meeting agendas for the Dail and makes sure they get through the work.
Ceann Comhairle: chairperson of the Dail. Keeps order. Also a TD and auto re-elected to the Dail following term.

11. Government departments continued
Foreign affairs: relationships with other countries and refugees
Education and Skills: training, salaries , who gets a grant etc in Primary, Post Primary and Uni.
Finance: spending money for each department, leader on creating the countries budget. Banking crisis NAMA solution National Asset Management Agency helped sell off bad debt and property .
Agriculture: includes marine, land, seas and food safety.
Health and Children: health policies, promotes health and investigates health and children issues.

12. Civil Service and the Public Service
Civil service work in all the departments mentioned but also the public service also get paid by the government and they include teachers, the army, the Garda, the public hospital services and the public education sector.