众议院议员和参议院议员的任期为五年。
The powers of the Seanad, 参议院as defined by the Constitution, are in general less than those of the Dail. The Seanad has complementary补充的 powers with the Dail in broad areas such as the removal 免除from office of a president or judge, 免除总统或法官的职务the declaration宣布 and termination of a state of emergency终止国家的紧急状态, the initiation of bills other than除了 money bills 财政议案and the annulment废除 of statutory instruments. 法令文件 The Seanad has prior优先的 or exclusive 他性的powers in other areas. A petition 请愿书to the president to decline 拒绝to sign a bill until the matter can be put before the people in a referendum全国公决 requires the assent of a majority of the members of the Seanad (but only one-third of the membership of the Dail). A private bill, which is designed to promote the particular interest of a person or locality地区, as distinct from a measure of public policy, must be introduced in the Seanad first. 宪法所规定的参议院的权力通常比众议院的权力要少。在免除总统或法官的职务，宣布和终止国家的紧急状态，开始实施除财政议案外的议案，以及废除法令文件等广泛事务上，参议院与众议院的权力互为补充。但在其他一些领域，参议院有优先权或排他性的权力。如果提交请愿书要求总统拒绝签署议案，而提交全国公决，则必须获得参议院的多数议员同意(但众议院只需三分之一同意)。个人议案区别于公共政策议案，其目的是促进个人或地区的特别利益，它必须首先在参议院提出
3. Irish laws and courts 爱尔兰法律和法院
Irish law is based on English common law as modified修改 by subsequent 随后的legislation and the 1937 Constitution. Statutes passed by the British Parliament before 1921 have the force of law法律效力 except those repealed废除 by the Irish Oireachtas. By law, judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the government and can be removed 免职from office only by resolution决议 of the Oireachtas. The high court has full original jurisdiction原始司法权 and power in all matters of law. It also can determine the validity合法性 of any law within the provisions of the Constitution. Normally the high court is presided over主持 by a judge sitting with a jury of 12. The Supreme Court is the court of final appeal. It consists of a chief justice 大法官and six other justices. It also can decide if the provisions of any bill passed by the Oireachtas violate违反 the Constitution on the matter being referred to the court by the president. In addition, it may declare existing legislation to be unconstitutional. 违反宪法
爱尔兰法律以英国的普通法为基础，随后的立法和1937年的宪法对之加以修改。除那些被爱尔兰议会废除的成文法之外，1921年之前英国议会通过的成文法有法律效力。根据法律，总统根据政府的
建议任命法官，而只有议会决议
才能对法官免职。高级法院在所有的法律事务上有充分的原始司法权。它也具有裁决宪法条款范畴内的任何法律的合法性。通常高级法院由一位法官主持，由12人组成陪审团。最高法院是最后的上诉庭。它由一个大法官和其他六个法官组成。它也能裁定总统提交给法院仲裁的、由议会通过的任何法案的条款是否违反宪法。此外，它可以宣布现有立法违反宪法。
II. Political Parties 政党
Ireland has a bipolar两极的 political party system with two major parties, Fianna Fail 共和党and Fine Gad. 统一党 They are both descended from Sinn Fein新芬党 (We Ourselves). Sinn Fein was the guerrilla游击队 movement that wrested谋求 independence from the British in 1921. It split 脱离in 1921 over the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The larger faction派系, Cumann na Gael, later Fine Gael统一党, accepted the treaty and dominion status 自治领地位within the British Commonwealth while the minority, Fianna Fail, led by Eamon De Valera, 埃蒙·德·凡勒拉 refused it and continued the struggle. From 1931 to 1948 and from 1951 to 1973 Fianna Fail dominated Irish politics, but it has alternated 交替with Fine Gael-led coalitions since 1973. The only other national party of some size is the Labour Party. These three parties together generally secure over 90% of the votes cast in any general
election. Historically, minor parties have never thrived 繁盛in Ireland. 爱尔兰是两极政党制，主要的两大党为共和党和统一党。两党都由新芬党发展而来。新芬党是在1921年谋求脱离英国而独立的游击队运动中产生的。因对英爱条约的分歧于1921年分裂。其中较大派系，即后来的统一党，接受英爱
条约和在英联邦内的自治领地位，而少数派共和党，则由埃蒙·德·凡勒拉领导，拒绝接受条约，并继续斗争。193l到1948年，以及1951年到1973年由共和党主宰爱尔兰政治，但从1973年起，它与统一党领导的联盟交替执政。其他
政党，具有一定规模的、惟一全国性的是工党。这三大政党通常能在任何大选中获得90％以上的选票。从历史上看，小党从未在爱尔兰繁盛过。
(1) Fianna Fail共和党(Soldiers of Destiny命运) (替天行道士兵党) was originally a radical 激进的republican group. Now it is the largest political party in Ireland, with a record of over 40% electoral support in every election. Its membership is estimated at between 72,000 and 90,000. Fianna Fall's policies are a mixture of old and new. Neutrality中立, promotion of Gaelic and strong support for a united Ireland are the historic planks 施政纲领(principles) in the party platform. 政党舞台 Many of its economic policies are more recent新: support for the EC, a high level of public expenditure to reduce unemployment, and full
employment. Fianna Fail continues to demand that the British be withdrawn from Northern Ireland but it opposes 反对the use of violence to achieve this goal. Fianna Fail has a broad popular 广泛的群众基础base among all classes and in all regions. In the early days its support came mainly from the rural areas and from small farmers, but today it also attracts the business classes. On February 6, 1992, Albert Reynolds 阿尔伯特·雷诺兹was elected leader of the party.
(1)共和党(替天行道士兵党)原先是激进的共和组织。现在它是爱尔兰的最大政党，在每次选举中都有40％以上的支持率。其党员估计在72，000到90，000人之间。共和党的政策是新旧政策的混合。在政党舞台上，中立、提倡盖尔语和强烈支持爱尔兰统一是其历史的施政纲领。“其许多经济政策则更新些：支持欧共体，提高公共费用开支，减少失业。共和党继续要求英国人撤出北爱尔兰，但反对使用暴力达到这一目标。共和党在所有阶级和所有地区都有广泛的群众基础。在早期，其支持者主要来自农村地区和小农场主，但今天它也吸引了商界的支持。1992年2月6日，阿尔伯特·雷诺兹当选为政党领袖。
(2) Fine Gael (Irish Tribe) )统一党(自我党)was the larger of the two factions when Sinn Fein 新芬党was split in 1921. The roles 角色have been reversed 转换since then. Just as Eamon De Valera 埃蒙·德·凡勒拉dominated Fianna Fail共和党, so Fine Gael was