Liam's Irish Traditional Music - Irelands culture and tradition

The Dáil debated a new constitution for the Irish Free' State. The Constitution, or saorstát Eireann, became law In October 1922, it provided for a two-house legislature, the Dáil and the Seanad, or Senate. The Dáil was to be the house containing all elected members; The Seanad's members were to be partly elected by the Dáil and partly nominated by the Prime Minister. In order to protect the Protestant minority in the Irish Free State, the Prime Minister was directed to represent "minorities or interests not adequately represented in the Dáil. Also, a system of voting by proportional representation was put into effect. Members of the Dáil were elected on the basis of universal adult suffrage, in proportion to the number of people they represented. The size of the Dáil would vary according to the number in the population, but it was designed to be the most powerful part of the government, and the Seanad could not delay any Dáil legislation for any length of time. The Dáil also chose the Prime Minister, and the other leading Ministers, which he nominated, required the agreement of the Dáil.

Under Dominion status, a representative of the British Crown, a Governor General, was formally recognized. His role was that of an unelected advisor, who assembled and dismissed Parliament. The presence of a Governor General, and the oath of loyalty to the Crown as the representative of the British Empire, kept the republicans out of the Dáil, and for four years they took no part in political life. The republicans were in the strange position of having achieved political power, but refusing to use it because of their principles. During these early years, there were so many problems with the IRA, and internal security, that when the Boundary Commission met to discuss the border, the Free State eventually agreed to abandon its claim to Ulster, in return for the British cancelling some debts which the Free State had undertaken to pay. The border became a permanent solution to the Ulster problem in 1925.

From 1923 to 1931 rapid changes took place within the British Empire, and the Irish Free State played an important role in bringing them about. Discussions began on the status of the Dominions. At the next Imperial Conference in 1926, Arthur Balfour produced a statement, which became the Statute of Westminster in 1931. This was not enough for the Irish republicans, some of whom chose to join Eamon de Valera's party, Fianna Fail (Warriors of Ireland). In 1932 it won the election and de Valera headed new government.