Taoiseach of Caldia

Revision as of 00:46, 11 December 2019 by Glitter (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Taoiseach of Caldia
Sauli Niinistö - 171106-D-GY869-041 (37501659204) (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Stiofán Mac Suibhne
since 27 February 2019
StyleYour Excellency (A Shoilse)
ResidenceLoveland House
NominatorComhthionól Náisiúnta
AppointerMonarch of the Caldia by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the Comhthionól Náisiúnta.
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure, so long as elections are held no more than five years apart.
Inaugural holderDónall Ó Conaill
Formation1857
DeputyTánaiste
Salary€185,350
Websitetaoiseach.gl


The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Caldia. The taoiseach is appointed by the monarch upon the nomination of Comhthionól Náisiúnta, the lower house of the Tionól, and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Comhthionól. The current taoiseach is Stiofán Mac Suibhnes, TC, who was appointed on 27 February 2019.

The word means "chief" in the Ghaillish language. The earliest known use of the term is from a 5th- or 6th-century ogham inscription in both the Tenic languages.

Overview

Under the Constitution of Caldia, the taoiseach is nominated by a simple majority of Comhthionól Náisiúnta from among its members. He or she is then formally appointed to office by the Monarch, who is required to appoint whomever the Comhthionól designates without the option of declining appointment.

If the taoiseach loses the support of a majority in Comhthionól Náisiúnta, he is not automatically removed from office but, rather, is compelled to either resign or persuade the Monarch to dissolve the Comhthionól. The Monarch may refuse to grant a dissolution and, in effect, force the taoiseach to resign, but, to date, no Monarch has exercised this prerogative, though the option has arisen. The taoiseach may lose the support of Comhthionól Náisiúnta by the passage of a vote of no confidence, the failure of a vote of confidence or, alternatively, the Comhthionól may refuse supply. In the event of the taoiseach's resignation, he or she continues to exercise the duties and functions of his or her office until the appointment of a successor.

The taoiseach nominates the remaining members of the Government, who are then, with the consent of the Comhthionól, appointed by the monarch. The taoiseach also has authority to advise the monarch to dismiss cabinet ministers from office, advice the Monarch is required to follow by convention. The taoiseach is further responsible for appointing eleven members of the Seanad.

The Executive Bureau is the government department which supports and advises the taoiseach in carrying out his or her various duties through the Taoiseach's Office.

Taoiseachs are also members of the Council of State, where they serve from their ascension to the office until their death.

History

The position of taoiseach was created in 1857 under the Instrument for Governance Act of 1857. Following the Silent Revolution and the demand for greater political representation, the creation of the Comhthionól Náisiúnta would result in the demand for the post. King Elton I and the Seanad both approved of its creation.

A statue of Dónall Ó Conaill, the first taoiseach, in his native Snarksburgh.

The creation of the office would remove considerable authority from the Seanad, and as such made the principal house of the Tionól.

The office was predeceased by the Laird Chancellor. Under the Constitution of Caldia, executive authority was held by the monarch, who would often delegate such authority to the Laird Chancellor. The position of Laird Chancellor has its earliest roots in the thirteenth century during the reforms of King Alastar. However, both the monarch and the Laird Chancellor retained significant authority. The Laird Chancellorship was almost always held by peer or bishop. The only taoiseach who was a peer during their tenure was the Duke of Holyhead.

The first taoiseach was Dónall Ó Conaill, a former Laird Chancellor, former senator and prominent reformer. He was a principal leader of the Silent Revolution. Ó Conaill was a member of and the leader of the Caldish Democrats, the party which heavily campaigned for the creation of a more democratized house. Ó Conaill would serve two terms as taoiseach, with the first lasting from 1857-1862 and the second from 1867-1872.

Since the office's creation, there have been twenty-seven taoiseachs from four political parties. All but four taoiseachs have served for the full duration of their five-year terms. Conán Ó Faoláin is the only taoiseach to have died while in office while Liam Mahoney failed to defeat a motion of no confidence. Taoiseachs Brigid O'Reilly and Rory McAllan are the only taoiseachs who have both been in power during snap election and to have had their parties defeated in a snap election.

The Instrument for Governance Act of 1965 removed virtually all powers from the Seanad. As a result, the power of the Taoiseach increased significantly as they no longer had to cooperate with the Cathaoirleach to ensure their legislation would pass the Seanad. The need for reform arose following the Government Crisis of 1965 in which the majority of elected Seanad seats were held by the Liberty Party. As a result the Cathaoirleach, Dónal Ó Loingsigh, was a member of the Liberty Party. He used his seat to delay major reforms pursued by Taoiseach Mary O'Neill by refusing to put them up for a vote. Instead of calling for a snap election or waiting for the 1966 Seanad election, O'Neill instead pushed to strip the upper house of the bulk of its powers. The Instrument for Governance Act of 1965 was passed with a two-thirds super majority after negotiations between the parties sitting in the Comhthionól. After her reforms were implemented, the Taoiseach was granted the power to appoint eleven senators, an increase from the five previously permitted. This is done in order to ensure the government has a majority in the Seanad, which now only has the powers to review and delay legislation.

Family

The family of the taoiseach has no official title or role. However, family members are often identified as members of the Dara Teaghlaigh (Second Family) in the Caldish press. This is due to their secondary status to the Royal Family. It is in reference to the tradition of calling members of the presidential family of the Federation the First Family. The phrase Dara Teaghlaigh first became popular in the 1970s and has since remained.

Residence

The official residence of the taoiseach, the Loveland House. The residence is located on the Royal Mile in Spálgleann.

List of office holders

Parties

No. Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Party Term of office Last office held before election Monarch
1 Dónall Ó Conaill
(TBD)
Sir Walter Scott Portrait.jpg Glytter Democrats 12 June
1857
12 June
1862
Laird Chancellor Elton I
2 Patrick Haughey
(TBD)
George Hamilton-Gordon.jpg National Conservative Party 12 June
1862
12 June
1867
Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Elton I
1 Dónall Ó Conaill
(TBD)
Sir Walter Scott Portrait.jpg Glytter Democrats 12 June
1867
12 June
1872
Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Elton I
3 Brian Quinn
(TBD)
Lord John Russell.jpg National Conservative Party 12 June
1872
12 June
1877
TBD Elton I
4 Maureen Guinness
(TBD)
Elizabeth Stanton.jpg Glytter Democrats 12 June
1877
12 June
1882
TBD Elton I
Mary IV
5 Donagh McCarthy
(TBD)
James G. Blaine - Brady-Handy.jpg National Conservative Party 12 June
1882
21 April
1885
TBD Mary IV
6 Robert MacDouglas
(TBD)
Charles Stewart Parnell - Brady-Handy.jpg National Conservative Party 21 April
1885
12 June
1887
TBD Mary IV
7 Eamon Brady
(TBD)
George B McClellan - c1880.jpg Glytter Democrats 12 June
1887
12 June
1897
TBD Mary IV
8 Elizabeth Higgins
(TBD)
Alice Paul cph.3a38295.jpg National Conservative Party 12 June
1897
12 June
1902
TBD Mary IV
9 Conán Ó Faoláin
(TBD)
John Redmond 1917.JPG Glytter Democrats 12 June
1902
8 April
1906
TBD Mary IV
10 Leonard McGarry
(TBD)
William O'Brien 1917.jpg National Conservative Party 8 April
1906
12 June
1912
TBD Mary IV
11 Saorla Ní Chonaill
(TBD)
Cutting 5375681482 dd9fba2eaa o.jpg Glytter Democrats 12 June
1912
12 June
1917
TBD Mary IV
12 Brigid O'Reilly
(TBD)
Portrait of Julia Lathrop.jpg National Conservative Party 12 June
1917
4 September
1919
TBD Mary IV
13 Liam O'Mathuna
(TBD)
Eamon de Valera c 1922-30.jpg Glytter Democrats 4 September
1919
29 November
1925
TBD Mary IV
14 Éamon Ua Buachalla
(TBD)
William Butler Yeats by George Charles Beresford.jpg Glytter Democrats 29 November
1925
1 February
1935
TBD Mary IV
Ellen II
15 Tomás Mag Fhearadhaigh
(TBD)
Ramsay-MacDonald (cropped).jpg Social Democratic 1 February
1935
12 June
1937
TBD Ellen II
16 Eleanore Rosaiteir
11 October 1893-26 November 1961
Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City - NARA - 195376.tif Liberty Party 12 June
1937
12 June
1952
TBD Ellen II
17 Seamus Macaulay
(TBD)
Charles Haughey 1967.jpg Social Democratic 12 June
1952
12 June
1957
TBD Ellen II
18 Wallace P. Fitzgerald, Sr.
(TBD)
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. 1938.jpg Liberty Party 12 June
1957
12 June
1962
TBD Ellen II
19 Máire Ní Néill
(TBD)
Mme Barbara Castle, Ministre britannique du développement outre-mer.jpg Social Democratic 12 June
1962
12 June
1967
TBD Ellen II
20 Rory Mac Ailín
(TBD)
James Chichester-Clark 1970.jpg Social Democratic 12 June
1967
21 March
1969
TBD Ellen II
21 Dáibhí Mac Coinneach
(TBD)
Alec Douglas-Home (c1963).jpg Liberty Party 21 March
1969
12 June
1977
TBD Ellen II
22 Mícheál Ó Muilleoir
(TBD)
James Callaghan and Carter crop.jpg Social Democratic 12 June
1977
12 June
1982
TBD Ellen II
23 Patricia Flowers
b. 17 February 1929
PatriciaFlowers.jpg Liberty Party 12 June
1982
12 June
1992
TBD Ellen II
24 Niamh Nic Uilliam
b. 27 February 1949
Niamh Nic Uilliam 1.jpg Social Democratic 15 June
1992
17 March
2002
Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Ellen II
Elton II
25 Séamus Ó Faoláin
b. 8 November 1948
Gordon Brown smiles.jpg Social Democratic 17 March
2002
17 June
2002
Tánaiste and Minister of the Interior Elton II
26 Énna Ó Ceallaigh
b. 4 March 1948
Enda Kelley.jpg Liberty Party 18 June
2002
17 June
2007
Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Elton II
27 Alexis Walker
b. 15 August 1950
Alexis Walker.jpg Liberty Party 17 June
2007
20 April
2017
Minister of Foreign Affairs Elton II
Kenneth IV
28 Jimmy O'Reilly
b. 27 April 1976
Jimmy O'Reilly.jpg Liberty Party 20 April
2017
7 May
2018
Minister of Justice and Equality Kenneth IV
29 Frank Casarnach
b. 5 November 1949
2017-09-24 Thomas de Maizière by Sandro Halank–3.jpg Liberty Party 7 May
2018
5 January
2019
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kenneth IV
30 Humphrey Dumfries
b. 20 April 1954
Eric Pickles, October 2009 1 cropped.jpg Liberty Party 5 January
2019
27 February
2019
Minister of Finance Kenneth IV
31 Stiofán Mac Suibhne
b. 8 November 1948
Sauli Niinistö - 171106-D-GY869-041 (37501659204) (cropped).jpg Social Democratic 27 February
2019
Present Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Kenneth IV

Living former Taoiseachs

As of 2018 there are eight living former Taoiseachs. The last Taoiseach to die was Michael Moss in 2003, who served as Taoiseach from 1977-1982.