JC-Learn CSPE Notes Common Level General Notes
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General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn
JC-Learn
CSPE Notes
Common Level
General Notes
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General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn
CSPE General Notes
The Seven Key Concepts
CSPE is based on seven concepts. These are?
1. Rights & Responsibilities
Every human being is entitled to basic rights, but we also have a responsibility to others, and
there is a constant need to safeguard peoples’ rights.
Topics: Children’s rights, prisoners of conscience, torture
2. Human Dignity
Every human being has the right to live their lives with dignity and to be treated with respect.
Topics: Homelessness, bullying, refugees
3. Stewardship
Caring responsibly for our environment and the planet on which we live
Topics: Recycling, global warming, the ozone layer
4. Development
Improvements taking place in local, national or international communities
Topics: Tackling poverty in Africa, Third World Debt problems, regional development in
Ireland
5. Democracy
Citizens voting to elect people to represent them in government
Topics: Elections, Dail Eireann, Local Government
6. Law
The rules and laws necessary to protect citizens. How laws are made, upheld, and the
consequences of breaking the law.
Topics: An Garda Siochana, the courts system, the prison system
7. Interdependence
The way in which we are connected with others in the world
Topics: The European Union, the United Nations, Fair Trade
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General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn
Rights & Responsibilities
U.D.H.R. stands for? Universal Declaration of Human Rights
What does Asylum mean? The right to a safe place to live
What does Freedom of Assembly mean? The right to meet up
International
E.U. stands for? European Union
Within the European Union there are three
law-making groups.
The European Parliament
The European Commission
The Council of Ministers
The European Parliament meets in which two cities? Brussels and Strasbourg
M.E.P. stands for? Member of the European Parliament
How many Irish MEPs are there? Eleven
There are 732 MEPs elected to the? European Parliament
Name 2 Irish MEPs? Nessa Childers, Brian Hayes
Who is the President of the European Parliament? Martin Schulz, German
How are members of the European Commission
chosen? There are 28 members of the
European Commission – one from
each country. Each member is
appointed by the govt of their own
country.
Who is the President of the European Commission? Jean Claude Juncker
Who is the Irish European Commissioner? Phil Hogan
We celebrate being members of the EU on the 9th May
every year. This is known as? Europe Day
In the EU, where are legal cases about human
rights heard? The European Court of Human
Rights
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E.C.H.R. stands for? The European Court of Human Rights
I.M.F. stands for? The International Monetary Fund
Why was the IMF in Ireland? To lend money to (“bail out”) the
Government which didn’t have enough
funds to run the country
The U.N. stands for? United Nations
The Secretary General of the United
Nations is? Ban Ki-Moon
Where are the United Nations Headquarters? New York
How can the Irish Army become involved in
international conflicts? Through United Nations Peacekeeping
operations
The US President is? Barack Obama
Where does the US President live? The White House, Washington DC
Where does the Queen of England live? Buckingham Palace
Who is the British Prime Minister? David Cameron (Conservative Party)
Where does the British Prime Minister live? 10 Downing Street
Which country joined the Euro in 2013? Croatia
How many countries are in the
European Union? 28
How many countries are in the Eurozone? 19
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General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn
27 Members of the European Union 19 Members of the Eurozone
Austria Austria
Belgium Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia Estonia
Finland Finland
France France
Germany Germany
Greece Greece
Hungary
Ireland Ireland
Italy Italy
Latvia Latvia
Lithuania Lithuania
Luxembourg Luxembourg
Malta Malta
Netherlands Netherlands
Poland
Portugal Portugal
Romania
Slovakia Slovakia
Slovenia Slovenia
Spain Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Croatia
Several other small nations use the
Euro (eg. Vatican City, Andorra, etc)
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General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn
Law
The chief law officer of the Irish State is known as? The Attorney General
The Childrens’ Court deals with? Offences committed by young
people under the age of 16
The District Court deals with? Civil and criminal cases at a local
level. There are 23 such courts
around the country
The Circuit Court deals with? More serious civil and criminal
matters. There are 8 of such courts
around the country
The Special Criminal Court deals with? Very serious criminal offences.
There is no jury in this court. Often
Terrorist/gangland related
The Court of Criminal Appeal deals with? Appeals from convicted persons
who believe they haven’t received
justice when their case was tried in a
lower court
The High Court deals with? Appeals from lower courts and some
Constitutional cases
The Supreme Court deals with? Cases about the Constitution and
appeals from the High Court
The highest court in Ireland is known as the? Supreme Court
The second highest court in Ireland is known as the? High Court
The lowest court in Ireland is known as the? District Court
Criminal law involves? Serious breaches of the law, such as
assault, robbery, rape and murder
Civil law involves? Disputes between private individuals
(eg. compensation claims, contract
law)
What is the name of the lawyer who
brings a criminal case to court? The Director of Public Prosecutions
The Irish Constitution is known as? Bunreacht na hEireann
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General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn In Ireland, a law (which is also called a “Bill”) passed by the Oireachtas is called? An Act In Bunreacht na hEireann the numbered points are called? Articles A referendum is needed if the Govt wants to change? The Constitution If the Govt wants to change the Constitution it needs to hold? A referendum While an arrested person is awaiting trial, the judge may allow them stay at home, rather than in jail. This is known as? Bail 7|Page
General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn
Politics
The voting system in Ireland is known as? Proportional Representation
P.R. stands for? Proportional Representation
What two letters sum up the voting system in Ireland? P.R.
How often must a General Election
must be held in Ireland? Every five years
How often must a Presidential Election
be held in Ireland? Every seven years
How many terms can an Irish President serve? Two (ie. 2 x 7 years = 14 years)
How old do you have to be to have a vote in
Ireland or European elections? 18
How old do you have to be to be elected as a TD? 21
How old do you have to be to be elected
President of Ireland? 35
The place where votes are cast in an
election is called a? Polling Station
The slip of paper filled in by a voter is called a? Ballot Paper
Someone who stands in an election is known as a? Candidate
In an election, what is a “quota”? The smallest number of votes
needed to elect a candidate
The smallest number of votes needed to elect
a candidate is called? A quota
What is a spoiled vote? A vote that cannot be counted
A vote that cannot be counted is known as a? Spoiled vote
What does T.D. stand for? Teachta Dala
What is a T.D./Teachta Dala? Someone who is elected to
represent their constituency in Dail
Eireann
What is an elected member of a local authority
known as? A councillor (eg. a county
councillor)
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What is a constituency? An electoral area – eg. Wicklow is one
constituency and has 5 TDs
What is a General Election? When people across in the country vote to
elect TD’s in every constituency, thereby
forming a new Dail and new government
What is a By-Election? When people in one constituency vote to
elect a TD to replace someone who has
resigned or died.
What is a Local Election? When people in a local area vote to elect
their local county council or town council
To have a vote in Ireland, a person’s name
must appear on? The Register of Electors
The Irish Prime Minister is called? The Taoiseach/An Taoiseach
An Taoiseach is? The Irish Prime Minister
The Deputy Prime Minister
(second-in-command) is called? The Tanaiste/An Tanaiste
The name of the President of Ireland is? Michael D. Higgins
The person who keeps order during debates
in Dail Eireann is called the? Ceann Comhairle
What is the national symbol of Ireland that
appears on all Govt letters and envelopes? Harp
In Ireland, which Govt department is
responsible for voting and elections? The Dept of the Environment, Heritage and
Local Government
What are the names of the two houses
of the Oireachtas? Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann
The Irish Parliament is called? Dail Eireann
Dail Eireann is? The Irish Parliament
Seanad Eireann is? The Irish senate - The “upper house” in the
Irish Parliament
Where do Dail Eireann and Seanad
Eireann meet? Leinster House
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How many Dail Constituencies are
there at the moment? 40
Where does the Irish President live? Aras an Uachtarain
Aras an Uachtarain is? The home of the Irish President in Phoenix
Park, Dublin
Political Parties and their Current Leaders
Fianna Fail Michael Martin
Green Party Eamonn Ryan
Fine Gael Enda Kenny
Labour Party Joan Burton
Sinn Fein Gerry Adams
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Important Organisations
Amnesty International Draws attention to human rights abuses in different countries
– eg. people who are facing the death penalty, being tortured,
child labour, prisoners of conscience, etc
Age Action Ireland Looks after the rights of older people
Focus Ireland Looks after homeless people
Simon Community Looks after the needs of homeless people in Ireland
St Vincent de Paul Helps poor people and those who are struggling to afford to
live
Aware Helps those who are suffering from depression
Combat Poverty Agency Helps poor people
Irish Refugee Council Looks after asylum seekers and refugees
Pavee Point Helps the travelling community
Comhairle na nOg Youth councils which allow young people the chance to have
a say on matters that affect them
Dail na nOg he annual national parliament for young people aged between
12-18 years. Delegates are elected to Dáil na nÓg through
their local Comhairle na nÓg
Ombudsman for Children An independent organisation that represents children’s rights
in Ireland. The Ombudsman’s name is Emily Logan
National Youth Council
of Ireland represents and supports the interests of voluntary youth
organisations and acts on issues that impact on young
people
Irish Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to
Children (ISPCC) Protects children’s rights
Irish Wheelchair
Association Helps people with disabilities
Trocaire Helps people and communities in the developing world
Goal Helps people and communities in the developing world
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Concern Helps people and communities in the developing world
FAS Provides training and employment schemes
UNICEF = United
Nations International
Children’s Emergency
Fund Look after children’s rights throughout the world
An Taisce Campaigns for a better environment
Residents’ Association Looks after the interests of people who live in a particular
area
Neighbourhood Watch/
Community Alert Encourages people to report suspicious activity in their area
Meals on Wheels Brings meals to elderly people in their homes
12 | P a g eGeneral Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn Government Departments Dept of the Taoiseach Dept of Education & Skills Dept of Finance Dept of Foreign Affairs Dept of Justice Dept of Health & Children Dept of Enterprise, Trade & Innovation Dept of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Dept of Defence Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Govt Dept of Transport Dept of Tourism, Culture & Sport Dept of Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs Dept of Social Protection 13 | P a g e
General Notes CSPE Notes JC-Learn
Photos
1. President & Party Leaders
Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland
Enda Kenny, Fine Gael
Joan Burton, Labour Party
Eamonn Ryan, Green Party
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Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein
Micheal Martin, Fianna Fail
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2. International Figures
Ban Ki Moon (UN Secretary General)
Jean Claude Juncker (President, EU Commission)
Aung San Suu Kyi (Burnam Human Rights campaigner)
’ Nelson Mandela (former South African President
and Human Rights activist)
Barack Obama (US President)
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David Cameron (British Prime Minister)
Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)
Francois Hollande (President of France)
Vladimir Putin (Russian Prime Minister)
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Arlene Foster (Northern Ireland First Minister)
Mary Robinson (former Irish President and UN Human Rights
campaigner)
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3. Other Important People
Adi Roche (Chernobyl Children’s Fund)
Bono (Third World Debt campaigner)
Martin Luther King, Jr (Human Rights activist in 1960’s USA)
Dr Niall Muldoon (National Ombudsman for Children)
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Phil Hogan (Irish EU Commissioner)
Sean Barret (Dail Ceann Comhairle)
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4. Important Buildings
Leinster House – home of Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann
Government Buildings, Dublin
The White House
10 Downing Street (home of British Prime Minister)
Buckingham Palace
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The Four Courts
The European Parliament Building, Brussels
The European Parliament Building, Strasbourg
The United Nations Building, New York
Aras an Uachtarain (like White House, but flatter and wider)
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The Criminal Courts of Justice complex, Dublin
Dail Eireann
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