This week, I had the privilege of officially starting my internship in person. Although I had been doing some online work, I was finally allowed to enter Dáil Éireann and physically begin my first day of the internship. Although I’ve not been in Ireland for long, I’ve noticed many things in just the three short weeks I’ve been here, one of which is the importance of context in communication. Although it was discussed, I never realized how different a high-context country like Ireland is compared to a low-context country like the United States, and how this difference can impact work. In all the jobs I have had in the United States, the tasks have always been clearly labeled, along with the method for achieving them. Another difference between the United States and Ireland, similar to this, is feedback, with the US being very high in feedback, and at least my experience in Ireland being very low in feedback. It is evident in the US that whether or not you completed a task, how it is done is essential. In contrast, in Ireland, it seems that as long as the task is completed somewhat well, it is considered good enough.

These two factors of work bring me the question to answer, which asks about where I experience uncertainty or unclear directions within my internship and how I navigate these issues. Personally, during my internship so far, I have encountered plenty of uncertainty, especially in the clarity of the tasks I am supposed to perform and the expectations of my work. While I strive to do my best on the work I perform, I generally receive little feedback, so I can feel uncertain at times about whether my work is satisfactory. Since I have received little feedback, I believe that my work has been adequate and there have been no significant issues. Luckily, with my placement, I have people I can reach out to for guidance when I need it. I would say, for the most part, the way I navigate uncertainty is by trusting my instinct and focusing on the tasks I have to complete, doing this work to the best of my ability. Through this way of navigating my uncertainty, I ensure that I contribute work even when the directions or tasks are not always laid out. 

Although I have only been physically at my internship for a week, it has been an eventful one. I arrived early on Tuesday at 9:00 AM, where I discovered that parliament was scheduled to sit at noon, and I had the opportunity to observe them in session. As a political science major, I am familiar with various types of government, and Ireland is similar to many other European parliamentary countries, yet distinct from the United States. The parliament was only in session for about 2 hours, and then a vote was cast. However, across those two hours, much tension built up in the Dáil, with some shouting and many disagreeing on ideas coming from the opposing sides. The main issue they addressed involved the housing crisis and a bill proposed by Fianna Fail and the Taoiseach, outlining a strategy to address the housing crisis across Ireland and combat rising rents for people living in Ireland. After a tense hour and a half of debate and discussion, a vote took place on the Taxes Consolidation Act of 199,7, which passed the first vote and is now in the second stage. 

While my first day was quite eventful the rest of the week was not the same which much of the tasks and things that I would see being looking at proposed bills and reading information on them along with checking emails and dealing with scehduling but overall my first week physicall in the Dáil was a very fun one. The first photo I have is of Leinster House, where both the Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann sit. This is the view you get once you pass security. I really love the architecture of the building and appreciate its historical significance. The second photo I have is simply a statue that I walk past before entering the offices. The statue is believed to represent either two rivers of Ireland or commerce and industry, but no one is sure. I was unable to find any information on the statue. My last photo was taken on Wednesday, showing a peaceful protest that took place outside the Leinster House gates, where people were protesting against Irish banks holding Israeli bonds.