Context: Older constitutions often vest this power in the cabinet. In the United Kingdom, for example, the tradition whereby it is the prime minister who requests a dissolution of parliament dates back to 1918. Prior to then, it was the entire government that made the request. Similarly, though the modern 1937 Irish constitution grants to the Taoiseach the right to make the request, the earlier 1922 Irish Free State Constitution vested the power in the Executive Council (the then name for the Irish cabinet).

Question: When was the convention of prime ministers initiating the dissolution of parliament started?
Answer: 1918

Question: In Ireland, when was the power to dissolve parliament assigned to the prime minister?
Answer: 1937

Question: The 1922 Irish Free State Constitution previously gave what body the power to dissolve parliament?
Answer: the Executive Council

Question: What was the Executive Council an alternate name for?
Answer: cabinet

Question: Who lost the power to request a dissolution of parliment in 1918?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: since when has the power to request a dissalution belonged to the whole government?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: What does the Executive Council have the power to do in Ireland?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: What could the Taoiseach due prior to 1922
Answer: Unanswerable