Tánaiste

deputy head of the Government of Ireland

A Tánaiste (plural: Tánaistí) is the deputy head of the government of the Republic of Ireland.

The Taoiseach nominates a member of Government to be Tánaiste. Micheál Martin is the current Tánaiste.

Under the Irish Free State, the deputy leader was Deputy President of the Executive Council. In 1937 the title was changed to Tánaiste

In history, the tánaiste was the heir of the chief (taoiseach) or king (rí).