I. Political Structure 政治结构
Ireland is a parliamentary republic and a unitary state under the 1937 Constitution. The Constitution is theoretically applicable to the whole of Ireland. Citizens of Northern Ireland are also considered citizens and can run for office in the South. The Republic of Ireland consists of 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland.
A. Executive Power 行政权
a. The head of state: the president
The head of state is the president, elected by direct suffrage (投票) for a term of seven years. The president is advised and assisted in his duties by the Council of State.
Functions: (1) He sommons or dissolves the Oireachtas (爱尔兰国家议会) (Parliament);
(2) Signs and promulgates laws;
(3) Appoints judges, the prime minister and other members of the cabinet;
(4) And heads the defence forces.
(5) In addition, he has the right to refer certain bills to the Supreme Court for a
decision of their constitutionality and refer certain bills to the people by referendum.
(6) Article 13 of the Constitution provides that the president shall appoint the prime minister (taoiseach 总理) on the nomination of the House of Representatives (Dail 众议院) and that he shall appoint the other members of the government on the nomination of the prime minister with the previous approval of the Dail.
b. The head of government: the prime minister (taoiseach)
Functions: The Prime Minister is the head of government. His role includes (1) nominating the ministers of all department, (2) leading the Cabinet collectively responsible to the Parliament (ministers are individually responsible for the performance of their respective ministries); (3) being accountable to the Parliament and the public (keeping the president informed of domestic and international affairs.
B. Legislative Power 立法权
a. All the legislative powers are vested in the national parliament. The national parliament (Oireachtas) has two Houses. They are the House of Representative (Dail Eireann) and the Senate (Seanad).
b. Under the Constitution, the Oireachtas has the sole power of making laws. The only exception is with regard to laws passed by the European Parliament that apply to Ireland.
c. The Dail currently has 166 members, called in Irish teachtai data (T. D.’s). The country is divided into 41 constituencies. The Seanad has 60 members.
d. TDs and Senators are elected for five-year terms.
e. The powers of the Seanad, as defined by the Constitution, are in general less than those of the Dail. The Seanad has complementary powers with the Dail in broad areas. The Seanad has prior or exclusive power in other areas.
C. Irish laws and courts
a. Irish law is based on English common law as modified by subsequent legislation and the 1937 Constitution. Statutes passed by the British Parliament before 1921 have the force of law except those repealed by the Irish Oireachtas.
b. By law, judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the government and can be removed from office only by resolution of the Oireachtas.
c. The high court has full original jurisdiction and power in all matters of law. It also can determine the validity of any law within the provisions of the Constitution. Normally the high court is presided over by a judge sitting with a jury of 12.
d. The Supreme Court is the court of final appeal. It consists of a chief justice and six other justices. It also can decide if the provisions of any bill passed by the Oireachtas violate the Constitution on the matter being referred to the court by the president. In addition, it may declare existing legislation to be unconstitutional.
Ⅱ. Political Parties 政党
Ireland has a bipolar political party system with two major parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They are both descended from Sinn Fein (We Ourselves). Sinn Fein was the guerrilla movement that wrested independence from the British in 1921. It split in 1921 over the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The larger faction, Cumann na Gael, later Fine Gael, accepted the treaty and dominion status within the British Commonwealth while the minority, Fianna Fail, led by Eamon De Valera, refused it and continued the struggle. From 1931 to 1948 and from 1951 to 1973 Fianna Fail dominated Irish politics, but it has alternated with Fine Gael-led coalitions since 1973. The only other national party of some size is the Labour Party. These three parties together generally secure over 99% of the votes cast in any general election. Historically, minor parties have never thrived in Ireland.
A. Fianna Fail 共和党
a. a radical republican group
the largest political party
b. Policies
c. Economic policies
d. Demands
e. Support
B. Fine Gael 统一党
a. conservative party
C. The Irish Labor Party 工党
the oldest of all the parties in Ireland
founded in May 1912
D. The Progressive Democrats 进步民主党
Ⅲ. The Economy
Characteristics:
Ireland is a free-market economy with a dominant private sector. It is one of the least developed countries in the EC. Its small economy is marked by slow growth, high unemployment and imbalances in public finance.
A. Agriculture
a. Agriculture still is a major sector.
b. As a whole, Irish farming is a mixed economy. Most of the farmers have a small piece of arable land and a considerable area of pasture and meadow. They depend chiefly for their living on occasional cash crops and some form of livestock. Except for the northern farms, Irish agriculture is not intensive.
c. The most significant recent development in Irish agriculture has been membership in the European Community.
B. Manufacturing制造业
Since the 1960s, manufacturing has become the mainstay of the Irish economy. 45%of national industrial employment is concentrated in three main areas: County Dublin, the Cork city and harbour area and the Limerick-Shannon-Ennis triangle. Of industrial employment, 66%are employed in manufacturing.
C. Mining 矿业
Ireland has been a major mineral producer since the 1960s. The most significant success is the discovery of zinc—lead deposits at Navan in Country Meath. With the output from the Navan mine, Ireland is now the largest producer of lead and zinc concentrates in Europe.
D. Energy 能源
Ireland has a valuable energy source in the peat, or turf, bogs that cover extensive areas of the country. Turf is considered as a solid fuel in Ireland. Most of the peat is used to generate electricity.
E. Labour 劳动力
a. Unemployment is a chronic problem in Ireland. The reasons for this phenomenon are as follows.
(1) Ireland has a relatively young population—one of the youngest in Europe.
(2) Agricultural employment is declining.
(3) Public sector employment is being reduced for budgetary reasons.
(4) Most of the new hi-tech industries are lot labour-intensive.
b. Irish trade unionism has a close association with the labour movement in Great Britain.
Although Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are separate political entities, unions, like churches, are organized on an all—Ireland basis. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), founded in 1959, is the principal coordinating body for trade union activity in Ireland and, to a lesser degree, in Northern Ireland as well.
c. Strikes have plagued Irish industry for years.
F. Foreign trade 对外贸易
a. Ireland is now an industrial exporter. Since the 1950s, exports have increased not only in value and volume but also in sophistication and diversification.
b. Ireland now has a dual export base. The United Kingdom has yielded place to EC countries. Ireland also has markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Australia, the United States and Japan.
c. The value of imports generally exceeds that of exports. That’s why Ireland has a chronic negative balance of trade. Continuing dependence on imported oil is one of the reasons for the high import bill.
Ⅳ. Education
A. Characteristics: Until the 19th century education was mostly in the hands of the Church and
state control was limited.
B. Educational system:
a. Schooling is compulsory between ages 6 and 15. The chief language of instruction is
English, but Gaelic occupies a place of honour in the curriculum and is compulsory for all students in state-aided schools.
b. Secondary schools are by and large private and denominationa. |
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