Government of the 8th Dáil

The Government of the 8th Dáil or the 7th Executive Council (8 February 1933 to 21 July 1937) was the Executive Council of the Irish Free State formed after the general election held on 24 January 1933. It was led by Fianna Fáil leader Éamon de Valera as President of the Executive Council, who had first taken office in the Irish Free State after the 1932 general election. De Valera had previously served as President of Dáil Éireann, or President of the Republic, from April 1919 to January 1922 during the revolutionary period of the Irish Republic.

Government of the 8th Dáil
7th Executive Council of the Irish Free State
Date formed8 February 1933
Date dissolved21 July 1937
People and organisations
KingGeorge V (1933–36)
Edward VIII (Jan.–Dec. 1936)
Governor-GeneralDomhnall Ua Buachalla
(until 11 Dec. 1936)
President of the Executive CouncilÉamon de Valera
Vice-President of the Executive CouncilSeán T. O'Kelly
Total no. of ministers10
Member partyFianna Fáil
Status in legislatureMinority Government
Opposition partyCumann na nGaedheal
Opposition leaderW. T. Cosgrave
History
Election(s)1933 general election
Legislature term(s)8th Dáil
Predecessor6th Executive Council
Successor8th Executive Council

The 7th Executive Council lasted for 1,443 days.

7th Executive Council of the Irish Free State

Nomination of the President of the Executive Council

The members of the 8th Dáil first met on 8 February. In the debate on the nomination of the President of the Executive Council, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing President Éamon de Valera was proposed, and the motion was approved by 82 votes to 54.[1] He was then appointed as President by Governor-General Domhnall Ua Buachalla.

8 February 1933
Nomination of Éamon de Valera (FF) as President of the Executive Council[2]
Motion proposed by Seán Moylan and seconded by Micheál Clery
Absolute majority: 77/153
Vote Parties Votes
Y YesFianna Fáil (74), Labour Party (8)
82 / 153
NoCumann na nGaedheal (45), Independents (9)
54 / 153
Absent or
Not voting		National Centre Party (11), Cumann na nGaedheal (3), Fianna Fáil (2), Ceann Comhairle (1)
17 / 153

Members of the Executive Council

The members of the Executive Council were proposed by the President and approved by the Dáil.[3] They were then appointed by the Governor-General.[4]

Office Name Term
President of the Executive Council Éamon de Valera 1933–37
Minister for External Affairs
Vice-President of the Executive Council Seán T. O'Kelly 1933–37
Minister for Local Government and Public Health
Minister for Justice P. J. Ruttledge 1933–37
Minister for Industry and Commerce Seán Lemass 1933–37
Minister for Finance Seán MacEntee 1933–37
Minister for Agriculture James Ryan 1933–37
Minister for Defence Frank Aiken 1933–37
Minister for Education Thomas Derrig 1933–37
Minister for Lands and Fisheries Joseph Connolly 1933–36
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs Gerald Boland 1933–36

Changes 3 June 1936

Re-assignment of department on abolition of Seanad Éireann.[5][6]

Office Name Term
Minister for Lands and Fisheries Frank Aiken 1936

Changes 11 November 1936

Appointment of Ministers.[7][8]

Office Name Term
Minister for Lands and Fisheries Gerald Boland 1936–37
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs Oscar Traynor 1936–37

Attorney General

Conor Maguire SC was appointed by the Governor-General as Attorney General on the nomination of the Executive Council.[9]

Amendments to the Constitution of the Irish Free State

The following amendments to the Constitution of the Irish Free State were proposed by the Executive Council and passed by the Oireachtas.

  • Constitution (Removal of Oath) Act 1933 (3 May 1933): Abolished the Oath of Allegiance and removed requirements that the constitution and laws of the Free State be compatible with the Anglo-Irish Treaty. This involved repealing Section 2 of the Constitution of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) Act 1922, as well as altering provisions of the constitution.
  • Amendment No. 20 (2 November 1933): Removed the Governor General's role in recommending appropriations of money to the Dáil on the advice of the Executive Council. This function was transferred directly to the Executive Council. In practice this change was merely symbolic.
  • Amendment No. 21 (2 November 1933): Removed provisions granting the Governor General the right to veto bills or reserve them "for the King's pleasure" by referring them to London.
  • Amendment No. 22 (16 November 1933): Abolished the right of appeal to the Privy Council.
  • Amendment No. 26 (5 April 1935): Made a technical change to Article 3, which dealt with citizenship.
  • Amendment No. 23 (24 April 1936): Abolished the two university constituencies in the Dáil.
  • Amendment No. 24 (29 May 1936): Abolished Seanad Éireann.
  • Amendment No. 27 (11 December 1936): Abolished the office of Governor General and removed all reference to the King from the constitution. The functions of the Governor General were transferred to various other branches of government.

Role of King

As well as the constitutional changes above affecting the status of the British monarch, after the abdication of Edward VIII on 11 December 1936, the Executive Council proposed and passed the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936 which reduced the role of the King to external functions only. It was followed the following year by the Executive Powers (Consequential Provisions) Act 1937, which completed the process of removing the position of Governor-General from Irish law.

Proposal of the Constitution of Ireland
Main article: Adoption of the Constitution of Ireland

The Executive Council proposed a new Constitution of Ireland which passed final stages in the Dáil on 14 June 1937. In a plebiscite held on 1 July 1937, the same date as a general election, the Constitution was approved with the support of 56.5% of votes cast. It came into force on 29 December 1937.

See also

References
  1. "Nomination of President of the Executive Council – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 8 February 1933". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  2. "Nomination of President of the Executive Council – Votes – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 8 February 1933". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  3. "Nomination of Executive Council – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 8 February 1933". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  4. "Appointment of Executive Council – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 1 March 1933". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  5. "Nomination of Minister for Lands – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 3 June 1936". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  6. "Appointment of Minister for Lands – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 3 June 1936". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  7. "Nomination of Ministers – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 November 1936". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  8. "Appointment of Ministers – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 November 1936". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  9. "Appointment of Attorney-General – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Wednesday, 1 March 1933". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
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