Tánaiste
Incumbent
Micheál Martin
since 17 December 2022
Executive branch of the Irish Government
StyleTánaiste
Irish: A Thánaiste
Member of
Reports toTaoiseach
SeatDublin, Ireland
NominatorTaoiseach
AppointerPresident of Ireland
Inaugural holderSeán T. O'Kelly[1]
Formation29 December 1937[1]
Salary€195,321 annually[2]

The Tánaiste (/ˈtɔːnɪʃtə/ TAW-nish-tə,[3] Irish: [ˈt̪ˠaːn̪ˠəʃtʲə] ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office.[4][5] The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD, who was appointed on 17 December 2022.[6]

History

Under the Gaelic system of tanistry, the word tánaiste (plural tánaistí, pronounced [ˈt̪ˠaːn̪ˠəʃtʲiː], approximately /ˈtɔːnɪʃt/ TAW-nish-tee) had been used for the heir of the chief (taoiseach) or king (). The word was adopted in the 1937 Constitution of Ireland as the title for a member of the government nominated by the Taoiseach to act in their place as needed during periods of the Taoiseach's temporary absence. Tánaiste is the official title of the deputy head of government in both English and Irish, and is not used for other countries' deputy prime ministers, who are referred to in Irish by the generic term leas-phríomh-aire, pronounced [ˈl̠ʲasˠ ˌfʲɾʲiːw ˈaɾʲə], approximately /ˌlæsfrˈvɛərə/ LASS-free-VAIR. The longer Irish form, an Tánaiste, is sometimes used in English instead of "the Tánaiste".

Overview

The office was created in 1937 under the new Constitution of Ireland and replaced the previous office of Vice-President of the Executive Council, which had existed under the Constitution of the Irish Free State, which was first held by Kevin O'Higgins of Cumann na nGaedheal from 1922 to 1927.

The Taoiseach nominates a member of Dáil Éireann, who is also member of the government, to the office.[7] The nominee then receives their seal of office from the President of Ireland in recognition of the appointment. The Tánaiste acts in the place of the Taoiseach during a temporary absence. In the event of the Taoiseach's death or permanent incapacitation, the Tánaiste acts as Taoiseach until another is appointed.[8] The Tánaiste is, ex officio, a member of the Council of State. The Tánaiste chairs meetings of the government in the absence of the Taoiseach and may take questions on their behalf in the Dáil or Seanad.

Aside from those duties, the title is largely honorific as the Constitution does not confer any additional powers on the office holder. The Department of the Taoiseach is a Department of State, but there is no equivalent for the Tánaiste. In theory, the Tánaiste could be a minister without portfolio, but every Tánaiste has in parallel held a ministerial portfolio as head of a Department of State. Dick Spring in the 1994–1997 "Rainbow Coalition" had an official "Office of the Tánaiste", but other parties have not used that nomenclature.[9] Under Spring, Eithne Fitzgerald was "Minister of State at the Office of the Tánaiste", with responsibility for co-ordinating Labour policy in the coalition.[10][11]

Under a coalition government, the Tánaiste is typically the leader of the second-largest government party, just as the Taoiseach is usually leader of the largest, but during the coalition governments in 1989–1992, and in 2007–2011 governments, the position was held by a Fianna Fáil member, rather than a member of a junior party. As part of a rotating Taoiseach agreement since 2020, the role of Tánaiste gained increased prominence and responsibility in coordinating and Government policy as it was held by Leo Varadkar for the first half of the Government's term in office prior to his appointment as Taoiseach and Micheál Martin in the second half.[12]

The office of Tánaiste is as yet the highest government rank attained by a woman Minister.[13]

Four Tánaistí later held the office of Taoiseach: Seán Lemass, Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen, and Leo Varadkar (his second term as Taoiseach). Varadkar is also one of two Tánaistí, with Micheál Martin, to have previously held the office of Taoiseach before becoming Tánaiste. Two Tánaistí were later elected as President of Ireland: Seán T. O'Kelly and Erskine H. Childers.

List of office-holders

Vice-President of the Executive Council

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Party Exec. Council
(President)
Ministries as Vice-President
1
Kevin O'Higgins, Feb 1922.png
Kevin O'Higgins
(1892–1927)
TD for Leix–Offaly until 1923
TD for Dublin County from 1923
6 December
1922
10 July
1927
Cumann na nGaedheal 1·2
(W.T.Cosgrave)
Justice (1922–27)
2
Ernest Blythe portrait.jpg
Ernest Blythe
(1889–1975)
TD for Monaghan
14 July
1927
9 March
1932
Cumann na nGaedheal 3·4·5
(W.T.Cosgrave)
Posts and Telegraphs (1927–32)
3
Sean T O'Kelly, 1949.jpg
Seán T. O'Kelly
(1882–1966)
TD for Dublin North until 1937
TD for Dublin North-West from 1937
9 March
1932
29 December
1937
Fianna Fáil 6·7·8
(de Valera)
Local Government and Public Health (1932–37)

Tánaiste

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Party Government
(Taoiseach)
Ministries as Tánaiste
Higher Offices Held
(3)
Sean T O'Kelly, 1949.jpg
Seán T. O'Kelly
(1882–1966)
TD for Dublin North-West
29 December
1937
14 June
1945
Fianna Fáil 1·2·3·4
(de Valera)
Local Government and Public Health (1937–39)
Education (1939)
Finance (1939–45)
President of Ireland (1945–59)
4
Seán Lemass, 1966.jpg
Seán Lemass
(1899–1971)
TD for Dublin South
14 June
1945
18 February
1948
Fianna Fáil 4
(de Valera)
Supplies (1945)
Industry and Commerce (1945–48)
5
William Norton circa 1927 to 1932.png
William Norton
(1900–1963)
TD for Kildare
18 February
1948
13 June
1951
Labour Party 5
(Costello)
Social Welfare (1948–51)
(4)
Seán Lemass, 1966.jpg
Seán Lemass
(1899–1971)
TD for Dublin South-Central
13 June
1951
2 June
1954
Fianna Fáil 6
(de Valera)
Industry and Commerce (1951–54)
(5)
William Norton circa 1927 to 1932.png
William Norton
(1900–1963)
TD for Kildare
2 June
1954
20 March
1957
Labour Party 7
(Costello)
Industry and Commerce (1954–57)
(4)
Seán Lemass, 1966.jpg
Seán Lemass
(1899–1971)
TD for Dublin South-Central
20 March
1957
23 June
1959
Fianna Fáil 8
(de Valera)
Industry and Commerce (1957–59)
Taoiseach (1959–66)
6
Seán MacEntee portrait.jpg
Seán MacEntee
(1889–1984)
TD for Dublin South-East
23 June
1959
21 April
1965
Fianna Fáil 9·10
(Lemass)
Health (1959–65)
7
Frank Aiken 1944 cropped.jpg
Frank Aiken
(1898–1983)
TD for Louth
21 April
1965
2 July
1969
Fianna Fáil 11
(Lemass)
12
(Lynch)
External Affairs (1965–69)
8
Erskine Hamilton Childers (cropped).jpg
Erskine H. Childers
(1905–1974)
TD for Monaghan
2 July
1969
14 March
1973
Fianna Fáil 13
(Lynch)
Health (1969–73)
President of Ireland (1973–74)
9
Brendan Corish 1949.png
Brendan Corish
(1918–1990)
TD for Wexford
14 March
1973
5 July
1977
Labour Party 14
(L. Cosgrave)
Health (1973–77)
10
George Colley, 1979 (cropped).jpg
George Colley
(1925–1983)
TD for Dublin Clontarf
5 July
1977
30 June
1981
Fianna Fáil 15
(Lynch)
16
(Haughey)
Finance (1977–79)
Tourism and Transport (1979–80)
Energy (1980–81)
11
No image.svg
Michael O'Leary
(1936–2006)
TD for Dublin Central
30 June
1981
9 March
1982
Labour Party 17
(FitzGerald)
Energy (1981–82)
12
Ray MacSharry, May 1980 (cropped).jpg
Ray MacSharry
(born 1938)
TD for Sligo–Leitrim
9 March
1982
14 December
1982
Fianna Fáil 18
(Haughey)
Finance (1982)
13
Dick Spring 1995 (headshot).jpg
Dick Spring
(born 1950)
TD for Kerry North
14 December
1982
20 January
1987
Labour Party 19
(FitzGerald)
Environment (1982–83)
Energy (1983–87)
14
Peter Barry, November 1984 (cropped).jpg
Peter Barry
(1928–2016)
TD for Cork South-Central
20 January
1987
10 March
1987
Fine Gael Foreign Affairs (1987)
15
Brian Lenihan Snr, January 1973 (headshot).jpg
Brian Lenihan
(1930–1995)
TD for Dublin West
10 March
1987
31 October
1990
Fianna Fáil 20·21
(Haughey)
Foreign Affairs (1987–89)
Defence (1989–90)
16
John Wilson, Nov 1990 (cropped).jpg
John Wilson
(1923–2007)
TD for Cavan–Monaghan
13 November
1990
12 January
1993
Fianna Fáil 21
(Haughey)
Marine (1990–92)
22
(Reynolds)
Defence and Gaeltacht (1992–93)
(13)
Dick Spring 1995 (headshot).jpg
Dick Spring
(born 1950)
TD for Kerry North
12 January
1993
17 November
1994
Labour Party 23
(Reynolds)
Foreign Affairs (1993–94)
17
Bertie Ahern 1997 (cropped).jpg
Bertie Ahern
(born 1951)
TD for Dublin Central
17 November
1994
15 December
1994
Fianna Fáil Finance (1994)
Taoiseach (1997–2008)
(13)
Dick Spring 1995 (headshot).jpg
Dick Spring
(born 1950)
TD for Kerry North
15 December
1994
26 June
1997
Labour Party 24
(Bruton)
Foreign Affairs (1994–97)
18
Mary Harney cropped.jpg
Mary Harney
(born 1953)
TD for Dublin South-West until 2002
TD for Dublin Mid-West from 2002
26 June
1997
13 September
2006
Progressive Democrats 25·26
(Ahern)
Enterprise, Trade and Employment (1997–2004)
Health and Children (2004–06)
19
McDowell says NO! (9826113044) (cropped).jpg
Michael McDowell
(born 1951)
TD for Dublin South-East
13 September
2006
14 June
2007
Progressive Democrats 26
(Ahern)
Justice, Equality and Law Reform (2002–07)
20
Brian Cowen, June 2010 (cropped).jpg
Brian Cowen
(born 1960)
TD for Laois–Offaly
14 June
2007
7 May
2008
Fianna Fáil 27
(Ahern)
Finance (2007–08)
Taoiseach (2008–11)
21
Mary Coughlan.jpg
Mary Coughlan
(born 1965)
TD for Donegal South-West
7 May
2008
9 March
2011
Fianna Fáil 28
(Cowen)
Enterprise, Trade and Employment (2008–10)
Education and Skills (2010–11)
Health and Children (2011)
22
Eamon Gilmore TD 2014 (cropped).jpg
Eamon Gilmore
(born 1955)
TD for Dún Laoghaire
9 March
2011
4 July
2014
Labour Party 29
(Kenny)
Foreign Affairs and Trade (2011–14)
23
Joan Burton July 2014 (cropped).jpg
Joan Burton
(born 1949)
TD for Dublin West
4 July
2014
6 May
2016
Labour Party Social Protection (2014–2016)
24
Frances Fitzgerald 2014.png
Frances Fitzgerald
(born 1950)
TD for Dublin Mid-West
6 May
2016
28 November
2017
Fine Gael 30
(Kenny)
Justice and Equality (2016–17)
31
(Varadkar)
Business, Enterprise and Innovation (2017)
25
Simon Coveney 2018.jpg
Simon Coveney
(born 1972)
TD for Cork South Central
30 November
2017
27 June
2020
Fine Gael Foreign Affairs and Trade (2017–2020)
26
Leo Varadkar TD (cropped).jpg
Leo Varadkar
(born 1979)
TD for Dublin West
27 June
2020
17 December
2022
Fine Gael 32
(Martin)
Enterprise, Trade and Employment (2020–2022)
Taoiseach (2017−2020), 2022–
27
Micheál Martin TD (cropped).jpg
Micheál Martin
(born 1960)
TD for Cork South-Central
17 December
2022
Incumbent Fianna Fáil 33
(Varadkar)
Foreign Affairs (2022–present)
Defence (2022–present)
Taoiseach (2020−2022)

References

Sources

  • Connolly, Eileen (2005). "The government and the governmental system". In Coakley, John; Gallagher, Michael (eds.). Politics in the Republic of Ireland. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415280662. Retrieved 20 April 2016.

Citations

  1. 1 2 Before the enactment of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, the deputy head of government was referred to as the Vice-President of the Executive Council.
  2. "TDs and Senators salaries". Houses of the Oireachtas. 25 March 2021. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  3. "Tánaiste". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
  4. "Tánaiste: definition of Tánaiste in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the word". Oxford Language Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  5. "Role of the Taoiseach". Department of the Taoiseach. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  6. "Government Ministers", Government of Ireland, archived from the original on 7 August 2020, retrieved 6 August 2020
  7. Article 28.7.1º of the Constitution of Ireland.
  8. Article 28.6.2º and 28.6.3º of the Constitution of Ireland. Archived 3 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Connolly 2005, pp.339–340
  10. "Eithne Fitzgerald". Directory of Members. Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  11. Müller, Wolfgang C.; Strom, Kaare (2003). Coalition Governments in Western Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 149. ISBN 9780198297611. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  12. "Martin to step down as taoiseach in December 2022". The Irish Times.
  13. McNamara, Maedhbh. A Women's Place is in the Cabinet: Women Ministers in Irish Government 1919 - 2019.Drogheda (Ireland),Sea Dog Books,2020. ISBN 978-1-913275-06-8.
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