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( Taoiseach)
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Politics and government of
Ireland The Taoiseach (pronounced /'ti???x/ in English[1] and IPA&_160;[t??i????x] (plural Taoisigh ([t??i????j] or [t??i?????]) in Irish), also referred to as An Taoiseach ([?n t??i????x]),[2] is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of Oireachtas), and must, while they remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil. The current Taoiseach is Brian Cowen, TD, leader of the Fianna Fáil party. Under the Constitution of Ireland the Taoiseach must be appointed from among the members of Dáil Éireann. In the event that the Taoiseach loses the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann, he is not automatically removed from office but, rather, is compelled either to resign or to persuade the President to dissolve the Dáil. The President may refuse to grant a dissolution, and, in effect, force the Taoiseach to resign, but, to date, no president has exercised this prerogative (though the option arose in 1944, twice in 1982 and would have arisen in 1994 had Albert Reynolds chosen, following his Dáil defeat, to seek a dissolution rather than resign[citation needed]). The Taoiseach may lose the support of Dáil Éireann by the passage of a vote of no confidence, the failure of a vote of confidence or, alternatively, the Dáil may refuse supply.[3] In the event of the Taoiseach's resignation, he continues to exercise the duties and functions of his office until the appointment of a successor. See Phantom Taoiseach.
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