The Cabinet has eight members and determines home policy.  It is elected every two years, generally one year after the main Parliamentary election.  Voters choose one party, which names its Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance, and the Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs.  None of these may be a member of the legislature or judiciary.  The remaining five members are appointed by the Prime Minister after the election.  They are drawn from the Parliament and continue to serve there.  These members may be taken from more than one party, and recently they often have been, to ensure cross-party support of the Government.

The Cabinet proposes legislation to the Senators and Deputies.  All members of the Cabinet agree to support the bill under collective Cabinet responsibility.  Each Minister also heads the Parliamentary Committee relevant to his or her portfolio.

The portfolios are:
Finance - economic policy, fiscal policy, monetary policy, taxation and tax reform, the Budget and financial allocations.
Defence and Foreign Affairs - national defence, Regional defence, intelligence, Secret Service, diplomacy, Regional affairs, UN affairs.

Commerce - commerce, subsidies and price controls, monopoly and anti-trust laws, trade union laws.
Justice, Equality and Law Reform - law and order, public safety, equality, law reform, courts reform
Social and Cultural Affairs - social affairs, the environment, social equality, cultural affairs, religion and spirituality, arts, sports, tourism, heritage.
Social Enterprise - education and science, health, social welfare.
Transport, Energy and Communications - public transport, communications, electricity, infrastructure, the marine.

The Parliament can pass a resolution of No Confidence in a Minister.  If the resolution is supported by 67% of Parliament, the Minister must resign.

The Prime Minister is head of the Cabinet and generally determines policy.  If one of his or her Ministers resigns due to a No Confidence motion, it is customary for the Prime Minister and Cabinet to also resign and for a vote to go to the people.  The current Prime Minister is Sean Mac Diarmada of the Social Democrats.