Constitution of Republic of United Ireland-Article 54-Regional Parliament



Home	Constitution Index	< Previous	Next >

you are here: > United Ireland > Article 54

	6. Regional (Provincial) Objects
	Article 54- Regional Parliament
54.1	Regional Parliament
	1. Legislative power
	All regional legislative Powers shall be vested in a Provincial Parliament (Province), which shall consist of two houses– an Assembly and a Council. The Assembly shall be elected representatives, while the Council shall be appointments by the Counties and National Executive.
	2. Number of regions (provinces)
	There shall be four (4) provinces that represent the total lands of Ireland:
	Ulster- representing the union of the nine (9) counties of Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry (Londonderry), Antrim, Down and Armagh;
	Connacht- representing the union of the five (5) counties of Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo and Galway;
	Leinster-representing the union of the nine (12) counties of Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Longford, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, and Kilkenny;
	Munster-representing the union of the six (6) counties of Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare;
	2. Parliamentary sessions
	Excepting a provincial election year, every year there shall be four sessions of fixed days corresponding to equal divisions of the year whereby members of both houses of Parliament are summonsed to attend. The commencement of Council sessions shall always correspond to the commencement of sessions for Assembly.
	Each of these sessions shall be named for the season to which they correspond, namely Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring Session. A day within a session when members of both houses of Parliament are summonsed to sit in Parliament shall be called a State Sitting Session Day.
	A day within a session when members of both houses of Parliament are not summonsed to sit in Parliament shall be called a Non-Sitting Session Day.
	3. State Election Year
	During a year in which a state election is to be called, the Provincial Parliament shall not sit for the Spring session. Instead the last session of Provincial Parliament before it is dissolved shall be the Winter session.
	4. Life of Parliament
	Parliament shall exist for a fixed period of four (4) years before being dissolved ahead of State Elections for a new Parliament.
	5. Dissolution of Parliament
	Parliament shall be dissolved every four years following that last day of the Winter Session for both houses of Parliament.
	The instrument of dissolution shall be three writs issued by the Governor:
	(1) To the leaders of both houses of Provincial Parliament ordering the chambers of both houses to be sealed until a new Parliament is elected.
	(2) To the two Vice-Presidents ordering the government to institute caretaker provisions which forbids the appointment of any new positions, the announcement of any new projects or the commissioning of any new expenditure.
	(3) To the national director of the National Election Commission requiring the commencement of National Election provisions for the conduct of a National Election to elect a new Executive Government and Parliament.
	6. Date of State Election
	The date of a national election shall always occur within the Spring months, allowing 40 days prior to the date of the election for the official campaign period.
	7. Formation of new Parliament
	The formation of a new Parliament shall occur within 14 days after the State Election day following the count and verification of all votes.
	The instrument of formation of a new Provincial Parliament shall be three declarations from the State Director of the National Election Commission:
	(1) To each successful candidate for election to Congress confirming their validity as the rightful representative of their constituency;
	(2) To the successful candidate for election as President and the two Vice-Presidents confirming their validity as the rightful executive to form government;
	(3) To the caretaker Governor that the election result has been verified and that writs to summons successful candidates to be sworn into Provincial Parliament and form the new State Executive must now be issued.
	Upon receipt of the declaration, the caretaker Governor shall be required to issue writs within seven (7) days for the summonsing to Parliament of successful candidates to form the new Parliament and Executive.
	8. Quorum
	The minimum number of members (quorum) required to be present within the chamber of a House of Parliament to permit the full exercise of its powers shall be one third the total number of members of that house.
	Neither House of Parliament shall be permitted to undertake procedures that require a quorum if the total number of members in that House is not equal or greater to the quorum.
	9. Voting
	Voting in both houses of Parliament shall be by open vote expressed as either Yes or No to the proposition before the chamber.
	Voting shall always require a quorum and shall follow the standard procedures listed in this Constitution.
	Total votes shall be tallied as either Yes, or No to the proposition expressed by the Bill. A higher total number of Yes votes to No votes shall deem the Bill or proposition has been passed. A higher total number of No votes to Yes votes shall deem the Bill or proposition has been defeated.
	The record, attendance and vote of all members of both Houses of Parliament shall be recorded on the public record.
54.2	Provincial Council
	1. Construction of Provincial Council
	A Provincial Council shall be composed of four (4) Provincial Councillors for each Country, directly chosen by the Local Parliament of the County with each Provincial Councillor having the power of one vote.
	The Provincial Councillors shall be chosen for a term of four years corresponding to the fixed term of the Assembly and two years from the fixed date of national elections. This means that Provincial Elections can never be held during a national election year.
	2. Power of the Provincial Council
	Vested by the Constitution, a Provincial Council shall have the power to review all bills passed by the Assembly and proposed as law, all budgets, expenditure and official planning of the provincial executive.
	The Provincial Council shall not have the power to block money Bills required for the general operation and function of a Provincial Government.
	A Provincial Council shall also have the power to commission Provincial Commissions of Investigation with the power to call any individual resident within the state and any information located within the borders of the state to review.
	3. Prefect of the Provincial Council (State Prefect)
	Responsibility for good conduct and control of the Provincial Council and the scheduling of business within the chamber shall be vested in the Office of Prefect of the Provincial Council (State Prefect).
	The Prefect of the Provincial Council shall be an independent role, free from political party preferences. The candidate shall be elected by new senators themselves on the first day of sitting of Parliament following a Provincial Election.
	4. Provincial Council session length
	The total length of a Council session shall be determined by the State Prefect and shall not be permitted to exceed 14 Sitting Session Days.
	5. Provincial Council attendance
	The Provincial Council Prefect shall be responsible for the issuing of summons to individual Councilors for their attendance to Parliament.
	Excepting special leave granted by the Provincial Council Prefect due to matters of national security, health or extended personal matters, all Senators shall be required to attend the Sitting Session Days as listed in the summons.
	Failure of a Councilor to attend six (6) or more Session Sitting Days within one Session shall be deemed a failure to discharge the duties of their office and the Provincial Council Prefect shall be responsible for immediately initiating an Council Expulsion Motion or a Director Expulsion Motion should the Senator be a National Director.
	Both Vice-Presidents and National Executive representatives shall be immune from any action for non-attendance breaches.
54.3	Provincial Assembly
	1. Construction of Provincial Assembly
	A Provincial Assembly shall be composed of members directly chosen by the people of the Province taken as one electorate with the total number of such members fixed at 72 with each member of the Provincial Assembly having one vote.
	Members of a Provincial Assembly shall be elected by registered voters in their Provincial Electoral Districts for a term of four years corresponding to the cycle of Provincial Elections.
	2. Power of Provincial Assembly
	Vested by the Constitution, a Provincial Assembly shall have the power to create new bills and amend existing laws into bills for review.
	The Provincial Assembly shall also have the power to create new budgets for expenditure and financial management of the State as well as to review the appointments of any person by the state executive to a permanent position prescribed by this Constitution.
	A Provincial Assembly also has vested by this Constitution the power to commission a State Impeachment for the forced removal of any elected official from the Governor to any position within any branch of government in the state.
	3. Office of Speaker of Provincial Assembly (State Speaker)
	Responsibility for good conduct and control of the Provincial Assembly and the scheduling of business within the chamber shall be vested in the Office of Speaker of Provincial Assembly (State Speaker).
	The Speaker of a Provincial Assembly shall be an independent role, free from political party preferences. The candidate shall be elected by new assembly themselves on the first day of sitting of the new parliament after a State Election.
	5. Provincial Assembly session length
	The total length of a Provincial Assembly session shall be determined by the State Speaker and shall not be permitted to exceed 20 Sitting Session Days.
	6. Provincial Assembly attendance
	The State Speaker shall be responsible for the issuing of summons to individual Provincial Assembly members for their attendance to Parliament.
	Excepting special leave granted by the State Speaker due to matters of state security, health or extended personal matters, all members of the Provincial Assembly shall be required to attend the Sitting Session Days as listed in the summons.
	Failure of a member of a Provincial Assembly to attend six (6) or more Session Sitting Days within one Session shall be deemed a failure to discharge the duties of their office and the State Speaker shall be responsible for immediately initiating an Provincial Assembly Expulsion Motion.







	<<Previous Continue>>
	Copyright ©: 2009 One-Ireland.Org. All Rights reserved.