le, yet divided one. The current Prime Minister, called the Taoiseach, is Bertie Ahern. His power is much like that of the President of the United States. The Irish Parliamentary System consists of the Houses of the Parliament, also known as the Oireachtas,The Senate and the House of Representatives. However, political and religious differences between Catholics and Protestants cause severe conflict in Northern Ireland. The Protestants, who were loyal to Britain before Ireland became independent, claim that Protestantism should be the only religion practiced. On the other hand, Catholics continue to fight against the persecution.6 This has been the case for centuries, and although there exists a cease-fire, this conflict is likely to never resolve. This has an adverse effect on business in this area. When violence erupts, foreign institutions are discouraged from opening up a marketplace. Unfortunately, this violence sometimes leads to the loss of innocent lives. Ancient governmental forms in Ireland involved feudal states and the existence of barbarous clans and tribes.7 Under the constitution of 1937, Ireland is a sovereign, independent democratic state.8It became a republic in 1949 when Commonwealth ties with Britain were severed. The channels used to express political opinions include television, newspaper, and radio all of which are controlled by governmental agencies as well as private institutions. Talking politics in business situations is much the same as in the United States.WORKFORCE DIVERSITYThe society of Ireland continues to be homogeneous. The population of the country is predominantly of Celtic origin. An Anglo-Irish minority, descended from English ancestors who settled in past centuries, constitutes most of the remainder. There are no other significant ethnic minorities. Almost all the people speak English, and about one-forth also speak Irish, a Gaelic language that is the traditional tongue of Ireland. Irish is spoke...
