At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Ireland

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Mary MCALEESE
• 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.

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.**

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

* 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 Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Mary DAVIS
  • Independent(s): Independent
• David Patrick Bernard NORRIS
  • Independent(s): Independent
• Seán GALLAGHER
  • Independent(s): Independent
• Michael Daniel HIGGINS
  • Party: Irish Labour Party / Páirtí an Lucht Oibre
• James Martin Pacelli McGUINNESS
• Party: Sinn Féin (SF)
• Gabriel "Gay" MITCHELL
• Party: Fine Gael (FG)

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 4,576,794 (2011)
• Registered Voters: 3,209,177 (February 2011)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,295,988 (2011)

·         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: 686,519 (est.)