GOVERNMENT |
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| Eire is a
unitary republic with a President who is elected by direct popular vote every 7 years. The
national Parliament consists of the President and two Houses: the Senate (Seanad, 60
members) and the House of Representatives (Dàil, 166 members). The President is the head of State but has little executive power. The Government is headed by the Prime Minister. The normal life of the Dàil, elected by universal suffrage, is 5 years. Eire has been a member of the European Economic Community since 1973. Trading within the European Market has made the country less dependent economically on the U.K. |
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