The Irish Assembly is the national parliament of the Republic of Ireland. It is also known as the Dáil Éireann, which is the Irish language term for 'Assembly of Ireland'. The Dáil is composed of members elected to represent constituencies through a system of proportional representation. It is responsible for making laws and deciding on government policy. The Dáil is the primary legislative body in the Republic of Ireland and is the lower house of the Oireachtas, the Irish legislature.