Who holds each office now?
On 30 September 2026, Micheál Martin is Taoiseach and Catherine Connolly is President of Ireland. The Department of the Taoiseach lists Martin as Taoiseach. Connolly is the 10th President. She was elected on 24 October 2025 with 914,143 votes and inaugurated on 11 November 2025, the day after Michael D. Higgins finished the two terms allowed by Article 12.
Article 28 of the Constitution names the head of government the Taoiseach and makes the Government responsible to Dáil Éireann. Article 13 says the President appoints the Taoiseach on the nomination of the Dáil. Article 12 sets the President's term at seven years, with one further term allowed.
Taoiseach vs President at a glance
| Taoiseach | President | |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Head of government | Head of State |
| Office holder, 30 September 2026 | Micheál Martin | Catherine Connolly, inaugurated 11 November 2025 |
| How chosen | Nominated by Dáil Éireann, appointed by President | Direct election by voters (if more than one candidate) |
| Term | No fixed limit; lasts while Dáil confidence holds | Seven years, maximum two terms |
| Day job | Leads Cabinet, sets Government policy, represents Ireland in EU Council | Represents the State, hosts visitors, signs legislation, speaks on national occasions |
| Accountability | Must keep Dáil majority; can be removed by no-confidence vote | Accountable to the Constitution; not answerable to Dáil in daily policy |
| Salary and staff | Government budget, large department behind them | Áras an Uachtaráin, smaller presidential office |
Both appear on the news. Only one runs the hospital budgets. The Electoral Commission separates legislative, executive, and presidential powers clearly. For a full guide to the presidency, see President of Ireland. For the prime minister on their own, see who is the Prime Minister of Ireland, or what a Taoiseach is. For where each fits in parliament, see what the Oireachtas is.
What each can and cannot do
Taoiseach in practice
Executive power
- Chairs Cabinet and assigns ministerial portfolios
- Proposes the annual budget and major legislation
- Advises the President to dissolve the Dáil when seeking an election
- Represents Ireland at European Council summits with other EU leaders
Cannot: pass a law alone, sign a bill without the Oireachtas, or stay in office after losing a confidence vote in the Dáil.
President in practice
State functions
- Signs bills into law after the Oireachtas passes them
- Appoints judges, the Attorney General, and senior officers on Government advice
- Receives ambassadors and represents Ireland on State visits
- May address the nation or the Oireachtas on major occasions
Cannot: dismiss the Taoiseach at will, veto ordinary legislation for policy reasons, or run a department's budget.
Common misconceptions
“The President is like the US President.” Not in power. Ireland's Taoiseach is closer to a prime minister. The Irish President is head of State with a constrained constitutional brief, not chief executive of the Government.
“We elect the Taoiseach.” You elect TDs. Those TDs (or enough of them in coalition) pick the Taoiseach. Your ballot influences who becomes Taoiseach, but the title is not on the ballot paper.
“Presidential elections decide government policy.” They decide who occupies Áras an Uachtaráin for seven years. The Dáil and Government still control legislation and spending. Presidential campaigns matter for the tone of the office, not for next week's budget vote.
“The Taoiseach and President can be the same person.” No. The Constitution keeps the offices separate. You will always have both titles held by different people.
Why the Taoiseach matters for DáilDex users
The Taoiseach is the leader of the Government that TDs vote on every day: budgets, confidence motions, and the legislative programme. When you follow a Government TD, you are often watching someone voting on their own leader's agenda. When you follow opposition TDs, you are watching the people trying to hold that leader to account.
Presidential activity rarely shows up as a division in the Dáil chamber. Taoiseach activity does, constantly, through Ministers answering questions and TDs voting on Government bills. That is the layer DáilDex is built for: parliamentary action in the Dáil and Seanad, sourced from the Oireachtas record.
Follow the TDs and Senators who speak and vote on that record. The Taoiseach's name will appear in debates and votes even when they are not on your follow list, because other TDs reference them every sitting day.