The Council of State (Irish: Comhairle Stáit) is an organ established by the Constitution of Ireland to advise the President of Ireland in the exercise of many of her discretionary, reserve powers. The Council of State also has authority to provide for the temporary exercise of the duties of the president in the event that these cannot be exercised by either the president or the Presidential Commission, but this has never been necessary.

Composition

The Council of state consists of a number of government officials, who sit ex-officio, as well as certain former office holders and up to seven individuals of the president's own choosing. The ex officio members comprise the attorney general as well as two individuals from each of three branches of government: legislature, executive and judiciary.

Unlike most of the president's other duties, which must be conducted in accordance with the binding 'advice' of the cabinet, the seven presidential appointees to the Council of State are chosen at the president's absolute discretion. These appointees retain their positions until the president's successor takes office. Every member of the Council of State must, on the first meeting they attend, subscribe to formal a declaration of office stipulated by the constitution.

Ex-officio members

From the executive:

• The Taoiseach (prime minister)
  • [currently Bertie Ahern, TD]
• The Tánaiste (deputy prime minister)
  • [currently Mary Harney, TD]

From the legislature:

• The Ceann Comhairle (Speaker of Dáil Éireann)
  • [currently ]
• The Cathaoirleach (Chair of Seanad Éireann)
  • [currently Senator Rory Kiely]

From the judiciary:

• The Chief Justice
  • [currently ]
• The President of the High Court
  • [currently ]

Attorney-General: Rory Brady, SC .

Former officer holders

• Former Presidents of Ireland
  • [currently Patrick Hillery and Mary Robinson ]
• Former Taoisigh (prime ministers) and Presidents of the Executive Council
  • [currently Liam Cosgrave, Charles J. Haughey, Garret FitzGerald, Albert Reynolds and ]
• Former Chief Justices
  • [currently Thomas A. Finlay and ]

The President's seven

• Colonel Harvey Bicker
• Anastasia Crickley
• Mary Davis
• Senator Martin Mansergh
• Enda Marren
• Professor Denis Moloney
• Daráine Mulvihill

Role

The president is not obliged to heed the recommendations of the Council of State. However, she must seek its advice, and give each member the opportunity to be heard, before exercising any reserve power except the refusal of a Dáil (lower house of parliament) dissolution. The remaining discretionary powers, which require prior consultation with the Council of State, are as follows (for a detailed description of the president's reserve powers see: President of Ireland):

• Reference of bills to the Supreme Court.
• Reference of bills to the people.
• Abridgement of the time for the consideration of a bills in the Senate.
• Establishment of a Committee of Privileges.
• Address to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
• Address to the Nation.

Under Article 14.4 of the constitution the Council of State, acting by a majority of its members, has authority to "make such provision as to them may seem meet" for the exercise of the duties of the president in any contingency the constitution does not foresee. The Presidential Commission is the collective vice-presidency of the state so this provision can be regarded as making the Council of State the third in the line of succession.

See also

• Meeting of the Irish Council of State, 2004
• List of presidential appointees to the Irish Council of State
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland
• Council of State

External link

• President of Ireland - official website