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‹ Article 12

Article 14 ›

Amendment history

Change type Date Amendment
modified 27th Mar, 2002 am. 21
Below is the latest text of Article 13, as amended on 27th Mar, 2002 by the 21st Amendment.

Article 13.

  1. 1:
    1. 1°:
      The President shall, on the nomination of Dáil Éireann, appoint the Taoiseach, that is, the head of the Government or Prime Minister.
    2. 2°:
      The President shall, on the nomination of the Taoiseach with the previous approval of Dáil Éireann, appoint the other members of the Government.
    3. 3°:
      The President shall, on the advice of the Taoiseach, accept the resignation or terminate the appointment of any member of the Government.
  2. 2:
    1. 1°:
      Dáil Éireann shall be summoned and dissolved by the President on the advice of the Taoiseach.
    2. 2°:
      The President may in his absolute discretion refuse to dissolve Dáil Éireann on the advice of a Taoiseach who has ceased to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann.
    3. 3°:
      The President may at any time, after consultation with the Council of State, convene a meeting of either or both of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
  3. 3:
    1. 1°:
      Every Bill passed or deemed to have been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas shall require the signature of the President for its enactment into law.
    2. 2°:
      The President shall promulgate every law made by the Oireachtas.
  4. 4:
    The supreme command of the Defence Forces is hereby vested in the President.
  5. 5:
    1. 1°:
      The exercise of the supreme command of the Defence Forces shall be regulated by law.
    2. 2°:
      All commissioned officers of the Defence Forces shall hold their commissions from the President.
  6. 6:
    The right of pardon and the power to commute or remit punishment imposed by any court exercising criminal jurisdiction are hereby vested in the President, but such power of commutation or remission may also be conferred by law on other authorities.
  7. 7:
    1. 1°:
      The President may, after consultation with the Council of State, communicate with the Houses of the Oireachtas by message or address on any matter of national or public importance.
    2. 2°:
      The President may, after consultation with the Council of State, address a message to the Nation at any time on any such matter.
    3. 3°:
      Every such message or address must, however, have received the approval of the Government.
  8. 8:
    1. 1°:
      The President shall not be answerable to either House of the Oireachtas or to any court for the exercise and performance of the powers and functions of his office or for any act done or purporting to be done by him in the exercise and performance of these powers and functions.
    2. 2°:
      The behaviour of the President may, however, be brought under review in either of the Houses of the Oireachtas for the purposes of section 10 of Article 12 of this Constitution, or by any court, tribunal or body appointed or designated by either of the Houses of the Oireachtas for the investigation of a charge under section 10 of the said Article.
  9. 9:
    The powers and functions conferred on the President by this Constitution shall be exercisable and performable by him only on the advice of the Government, save where it is provided by this Constitution that he shall act in his absolute discretion or after consultation with or in relation to the Council of State, or on the advice or nomination of, or on receipt of any other communication from, any other person or body.
  10. 10:
    Subject to this Constitution, additional powers and functions may be conferred on the President by law.
  11. 11:
    No power or function conferred on the President by law shall be exercisable or performable by him save only on the advice of the Government.
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