Constitution

Information

The Irish Constitution was enacted in 1937. It is the fundamental legal document that sets out how Ireland should be governed through a series of 50 Articles. Every part of the Constitution is set out in both the Irish and English language. The Irish language title for the Constitution is 'Bunreacht na hEireann', which means, 'Basic Law of Ireland'. You can view the text of Bunreacht na hEireann (pdf) here.

The Constitution establishes the branches or organs of government, it establishes the courts and it also sets out how those institutions should be run. The Constitution has another important function; it describes the fundamental rights that every Irish citizen is entitled to.

One of the most important Articles of the Constitution is Article 15.4, which states that the Oireachtas must not enact any law that is repugnant to the Constitution and that any such law is invalid. This means, that the law set down in the Constitution is superior to all other law, including legislation. If a proposed new law is repugnant to the Constitution, it cannot be enacted without first changing the Constitution by a constitutional referendum. The Constitution consists of two main parts. It describes:

• The main institutions of the State
• The fundamental rights of the citizen

Read more about how an amendment of the Constitution is made and what happens in Ireland where unconstitutional legislation and decisions arise.