Editing Taoiseach (section)

===Debate on the title===
In 1937 when the draft Constitution of Ireland was being debated in the [[Dáil]], [[Frank MacDermot]], an opposition politician, moved an amendment to substitute "Prime Minister" for the proposed "Taoiseach" title in the English text of the Constitution. It was proposed to keep the "Taoiseach" title in the Irish language text. The proponent remarked:<ref>[https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1937-05-26/20/ Frank Mr. MacDermot of the National Centre Party – Bunreacht na hÉireann (Dréacht)—Coiste (Ath-thógaint) – Wednesday, 26 May 1937; Dáil Éireann Debate Vol. 67 No. 9] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122141908/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1937-05-26/ |date=22 November 2018 }}.</ref>
{{blockquote|It seems to me to be mere make-believe to try to incorporate a word like "Taoiseach" in the English language. It would be pronounced wrongly by 99 percent of the people. I have already ascertained it is a very difficult word to pronounce correctly. That being so, even for the sake of the dignity of the Irish language, it would be more sensible that when speaking English we should be allowed to refer to the gentleman in question as the Prime Minister... It is just one more example of the sort of things that are being done here as if for the purpose of putting off the people in the [[Northern Ireland|North]]. No useful purpose of any kind can be served by compelling us, when speaking English, to refer to An Taoiseach rather than to the Prime Minister.}}

The President of the Executive Council, Éamon de Valera, gave the term's meaning as "chieftain" or "Captain". He said he was "not disposed" to support the proposed amendment and felt the word "Taoiseach" did not need to be changed. The proposed amendment was defeated on a vote and "Taoiseach" was included as the title ultimately adopted by [[Adoption of the Constitution of Ireland|plebiscite of the people]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Bunreacht na hEireann (Dréacht)—Coiste (Ath-thógaint) – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Vol. 67 No. 9 |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1937-05-26/speech/225/ |website=Oireachtas Debates |date=26 May 1937}}</ref>