Ireland to shut Vatican embassy in cost overhaul..LOL

[Ichingcarpenter]

Reuters) - Ireland will close its embassy to the Vatican, one of the Catholic country's oldest missions, as part of a cost-cutting programme prompted by the country's EU-IMF bailout.
Relations between the Irish government and the Vatican, once traditional allies, are at an all-time low over the Church's handling of sex abuse cases. But Eamon Gilmore, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, denied the embassy closure was linked.

"That was not a consideration," Gilmore told state broadcaster RTE on Thursday. "Our diplomatic relations with the Vatican will continue and they are valued."

The Vatican recalled its ambassador to Ireland in July after Prime Minister Enda Kenny accused the Holy See of obstructing investigations into sexual abuse by priests.

Gilmore said he did not expect the Vatican now to close its mission in Dublin.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/uk-ireland-vatican-idUKTRE7A27G620111103

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. The new Socialist President of Ireland has the gift of the Irish

He is also gonna get swearing to God out of the oath for elected officials.

Oh, and by the way........ He hated Ronald Reagan.....

[FLAprogressive]

2. I don't think the President of Ireland has any real power.....

to do much of anything.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. He is head of state and has these powers.

Appoints the Government
The President appoints the Taoiseach (head of government) and other ministers, and accepts their resignations. The Taoiseach is appointed upon the nomination of the Dáil, and the remainder of the cabinet upon the nomination of the Taoiseach and approval of the Dáil. Ministers are dismissed on the advice of the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach must, unless there is a dissolution of the Dáil, resign upon losing the confidence of the house.


Appoints the judiciary
The President appoints the judges to all Courts of the Republic of Ireland, on the advice of the Government.<3>

Convenes and dissolves the Dáil
This power is exercised on the advice of the Taoiseach; government or Dáil approval is not needed. The President may only refuse a dissolution when a Taoiseach has lost the confidence of the Dáil.<3>

Signs bills into law
The President cannot veto a bill that the Dáil and the Seanad have adopted. However, he/she may refer it to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. If the Supreme Court upholds the bill, the President must sign it. If, however, it is found to be unconstitutional, the President will decline to give assent.<3>

Represents the state in foreign affairs<3>
This power is exercised only on the advice of the Government. The President accredits ambassadors and receives the letters of credence of foreign diplomats. Ministers sign international treaties in the President's name. This role was not exercised by the President prior to the Republic of Ireland Act 1948


Supreme commander of the Defence Forces<4>
This role is somewhat similar in statute to that of a commander-in-chief. An officer's commission is signed and sealed by the President. This is a nominal position, the powers of which are exercised on the advice of the Government. (See Minister for Defence.)


Power of pardon
The President, on the advice of the Government, has "the right of pardon and the power to commute or remit punishment".<5> Pardon, for miscarriages of justice, has applied rarely: Thomas Quinn in 1940, Brady in 1943, and Nicky Kelly in 1992.<6> The current procedure is specified by Section 7 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1993.<7> There were plans in 2005 for paramilitary "on the runs" to receive pardons as part of the Northern Ireland peace process, to supplement the 1998 early release of serving prisoners after the Good Friday Agreement.<8> This was controversial and was soon abandoned along with similar British proposals.<9><10><11> Power of commutation and remittance are not restricted to the President,<12> though this was the case for death sentences handed down prior to the abolition of capital punishment.<13>
Other functions specified by statute or otherwise include:

The President is ex officio President of the Irish Red Cross Society.<14>

The President appoints, on the advice of the Government, the Senior Professors and chairman of the council of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies;<15> the governor of the Central Bank of Ireland;<16> the members of the Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal;<17> the Ombudsman;<18> and the members of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.<19>


The President appoints one trustee to the Chester Beatty Library. This was specified in Chester Beatty's will and given effect by a 1968 Act of the Oireachtas.<20>

The President is the patron of Gaisce – The President's Award, established by trust deed in 1985.<21>



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Ireland

[dipsydoodle]

4. Yes but aside from that lot

what powers does he have. :rofl:

:hi:

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. 'I don't think'

much more than that......LOL

[FLAprogressive]

6. Right from the article: "The presidency is largely a ceremonial office"

"but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute discretion."

The president only ceremonially appoints the government......some of the powers listed have never even been invoked.