The votes have been counted, a new president elected. What happens next?
When Catherine Connolly arrived at Dublin Castle with her family for the declaration of her election as president on Saturday evening, her status immediately changed. The first change means she now has a security detail.
At the castle returning officer Barry Ryan formally declared the result and signed a formal notification to that effect to declare her the 10th president of Ireland.
What is the formal notification?
This is a document confirming the election result. It is written in blue script font on parchment with a gold-coloured decorative rope cord wrapped around the front and inside cover. There is a gold harp on the front cover.
Who receives it?
The document is issued to the president-elect and six office holders: President Michael D Higgins, the Taoiseach, Chief Justice, Ceann Comhairle, Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and secretary general to the President.
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What contact is there between the President and the president-elect?
President Higgins phoned the president-elect on Saturday evening to congratulate her and offer his full support. They are expected to meet in the course of the preparations for her inauguration in preparation for the handover.
When President Higgins was first elected in 2011, the outgoing president, Mary McAleese, invited the Higgins family to the Áras for dinner.
What other contacts will she have?
Orla O’Hanrahan, secretary general to the President, is also expected to brief the president-elect about the office, her role and preparations for the inauguration.
When does the president-elect become President Connolly?
President Higgins formally relinquishes office at midnight on November 10th. Ms Connolly becomes president following an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, November 11th, at Dublin Castle.
Anything else happening in the interim?
The president-elect will work on her inauguration speech, an important address in which she is likely to give some indication of the themes of her presidency and the projects she wishes to undertake. She spoke in Dublin Castle after her victory, about a new-style Republic and may touch on that and her plans to revisit communities across the country she visited during her campaign.
She will also plan for her first Áras visitors. She previously mentioned they would include the disabled community and carers.
Will she decide on her Council of State members?
The Council of State is an advisory group on legal and other issues. It includes the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Chief Justice, Ceann Comhairle, Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and Attorney General, former presidents, taoisigh and chief justices, and presidents of each of the Courts.
The president also has complete discretion to select a further seven members but there is no hurry. President Higgins made his appointments a couple of months after inauguration.
What staff will she bring to the Áras?
President Higgins had three members of staff – an adviser, a civil servant press adviser and a personal assistant – in addition to the Áras household staff. The staff that Connolly brings to the Áras with her could form part of the discussions with the secretary general. It is unclear who she will appoint but it is expected the president-elect will bring her long-time assistant and linchpin in her successful campaign Beibhinn O’Connor.
