At stake in this Referendum:

• A referendum to allow Ireland to ratify the European Fiscal Compact by amending its constitution

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Michael D. HIGGINS *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda KENNY
• Assembly: Ireland has a bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consisting of the Senate (Seanad Éireann) with 60 seats and the House of Representatives (Dáil Éireann) with 166 seats.

* The presidential term is renewable once. The electoral system is alternative vote. The President is a member of Parliament ex officio.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by a majority system with preferential vote to serve a 7-year term.
• The Prime Minister (Taoiseach) is appointed by the President.
• In the Senate (Seanad Éireann), 43 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms, 11 members are appointed by the President to serve 5-year terms and 6 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms*. In the House of Representatives (Dáil Éireann) 166 members are elected through a single transferable vote (STV) proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms.**

* 43 members are elected by five panels representing vocational interests. Six are elected by graduates of two colleges.

** One seat is reserved for the Speaker of the House. There are 43 multi-member districts with magnitudes from 3 to 5.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• A referendum to allow Ireland to ratify the European Fiscal Compact by amending its constitution. The referendum would amend the Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution to read: "The State may ratify the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union done at Brussels on the 2nd day of March 2012. No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the State that are necessitated by the obligations of the State under that Treaty or prevents laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by bodies competent under that Treaty from having the force of law in the State."

Electoral Requirements

• A plurality of voters must approve the amendment.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 4,586,897 (2012)
• Registered Voters: 3,144,828 (May 2012)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,300,416 (2012)

·         Is Ireland a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Ireland ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (23 December 1985)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 25 (House of Representatives); 18 (Senate) (following the 2011 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 6 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Ireland a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Ireland ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability: 688,034 (est.)