[notes 1] The president's weak position arose from the fact that the status of his office was modelled on that of the prime minister of the United Kingdom before 1918.

Until 1918, the British prime minister's powers had been theoretically quite limited and, as a member of the cabinet, the office-holder was regarded strictly as primus inter pares.

This had the effect of giving the president of the Executive Council the right to advise the king in his capacity as His Majesty's Irish prime minister.

The new Constitution abolished the office of president of the Executive Council, replacing it with that of taoiseach (prime minister – literally meaning "Chieftain" or "Leader"[1]).

The Taoiseach occupies a more powerful position than the president of the Executive Council did and has authority both to dismiss ministers individually and to request a dissolution of parliament on his own initiative.