Ireland politics
Political parties
There are a number of political parties in the Republic of Ireland, and coalition governments are common. The state is unusual as a developed nation in that politics is not primarily characterised by the left-right political divide. This is because the two historically largest political parties Fianna Fáiland Fine Gael do not identify themselves first and foremost as either centre-right or centre-left parties. Rather, both parties arose from the great split that occurred in Irish politics at the time of the 1922–1923 Civil War, that followed the foundation of the state. Both descended from factions of the originalSinn Féin party: Fine Gael from the faction that supported the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty and Fianna Fáil from the anti-Treaty faction. This enduring characteristic of the Irish party system is sometimes pejoratively referred to as "Civil War politics".
An Páirtí Daonlathach An Páirtí Daonlathach The Progressive DemocratsFianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party
Páirtí an Lucht Oibre Páirtí an Lucht Oibre The Labour Party
Fine Gael Fine Gael – The United Ireland Party
Comhaontas Glas Comhaontas Glas The Green Party
Sinn Féin (Ireland) Sinn Féin - party in Ireland, currently the second-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly. / Sinn Féin - páirtí Poblachtánach Sóisialach Éireannach.
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Politics
Ireland is a constitutional republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Oireachtas is a bicameral national parliament composed of the President of Ireland and the two Houses of the Oireachtas: Seanad Éireann (Senate) and Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives). Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of the President of Ireland, while the houses of the Oireachtas meet at Leinster House in Dublin.
The President serves as head of state, and is elected for a seven-year term and may be re-elected once. The President is primarily a figurehead, but is entrusted with certain constitutional powers with the advice of the Council of State. The office has absolute discretion in some areas, such as referring a bill to the Supreme Court for a judgement on its constitutionality. Michael D. Higgins became the ninth President of Ireland on 11 November 2011.
Brian Cowen Brian Ó Comhain - é an 11ú Taoiseach (ceann Rialtais na hÉireann) ó 7 Bealtaine 2008. The current Taoiseach of Ireland. 
Mary Coughlan Máire Ní Chochláinn - polaiteoir sinsearach Éireannach de chuid an pháirtí Fianna Fáil. A senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. 
John Gormley Polaiteoir sinsearach Éireannach. Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. 
Ciarán Cannon Ciarán Ó Canáin - polaiteoir Éireannach. An Irish politician and leader of the Progressive Democrats. 
Eamon Gilmore Éamon Mac Giollamóir - polaiteoir Éireannach. The leader of the Irish Labour Party. 
Mary McAleese Máire Pádraigín Bean Mhic Ghiolla Íosa ochtú hUachtarán na hÉireann, agus tá sí i bpost i gcónaí. The eighth and current President of Ireland. 
Enda Kenny Éanna Ó Cionnaith - polaiteoir Éireannach. An Irish politician, is the leader of the Fine Gael party. 
Gerry Adams Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh - polaiteoir i dTuaisceart Éireann. / Irish republican politician - the president of Sinn Féin.
Northern Ireland Events Company investigation to cost £1m
An investigation into the collapse of a Stormont quango will cost the public purse almost £1m and is taking five years to complete.
Auditors PricewaterhouseCooper are conducting a detailed probe into the defunct Northern Ireland Events Company, which was under the control of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
It began in 2008 and despite MLAs being told it had a two-year outside time limit, its target for completion is April 2013.
To date, it has cost £781,000, but the final bill is estimated at £900,000.
The new information was provided following an Assembly question from Strangford MLA David McNarry.
"This is a disgrace. It has been a blank cheque," he said.
The company was formed to promote headline-grabbing attractions and used taxpayer funds to attract pop concerts to Stormont and promote sporting events.
But it folded with debts of £1.6m after irregular loans and payments were uncovered in a confidential report.
There was also a break-down in accountability between the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and the board it appointed to run the organisation.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18123500
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