The government of the 9th Dáil was successively the 8th Executive Council of the Irish Free State (21 July – 29 December 1937) and the 1st government of Ireland (29 December 1937 – 30 June 1938). They were led by Éamon de Valera, first as President of the Executive Council and then as Taoiseach. It was formed after the 1937 general election held on 1 July, the same day the new Constitution of Ireland was approved in a plebiscite. Fianna Fáil were continuing in office as a single-party government as they had since the 1932 general election. The 8th Executive Council lasted for 162 days until the coming into operation of the new constitution and the 1st Government lasted for 184 days.

8th executive council of the Irish Free State

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8th executive council of the Irish Free State
Executive Council of the Irish Free State
 
Date formed21 July 1937
Date dissolved29 December 1937
People and organisations
President of the Executive CouncilÉamon de Valera
Vice-President of the Executive CouncilSeán T. O'Kelly
Total no. of members10
Member partyFianna Fáil
Status in legislatureMinority Government
Opposition partyFine Gael
Opposition leaderW. T. Cosgrave
History
Election1937 general election
Legislature term9th Dáil
Predecessor7th Executive Council
Successor1st government

Election of President of the Executive Council

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The 9th Dáil first met on 21 July 1937. In the debate on the election 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 52.[1]

The election took place under Article 53 of the Constitution of the Irish Free State, as amended by the Constitution (Amendment No. 27) Act 1936, which had removed the constitutional role of the Governor-General. It was the only time from December 1922 that the head of government was directly elected by the Dáil only; from December 1922 to December 1936, the nomination of the president of the Executive Council was approved by Dáil for appointment by the Governor-General, and since December 1937, the nomination of the Taoiseach has similarly been approved by the Dáil for appointment by the president of Ireland.

21 July 1937
Election of Éamon de Valera (FF) as President of the Executive Council
[2]
Motion proposed by Richard Walsh and seconded by Tom McEllistrim
Absolute majority: 70/138
Vote Parties Votes
 Y Yes Fianna Fáil (67), Labour Party (13), Independents (2)
82 / 138
No Fine Gael (48), Independents (4)
52 / 138
Absent or
Not voting
Independents (2), Fianna Fáil (1), Ceann Comhairle (1)
4 / 138

Members of the Executive Council

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The members of the Executive Council were proposed by the President after his election and approved by the Dáil for their appointment by him.[3]

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

Parliamentary secretaries

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On 21 July, the Executive Council appointed Parliamentary secretaries on the nomination of the President.[4]

Name Office
Patrick Little Government Chief Whip
Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for External Affairs
Hugo Flinn Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance
Conn Ward Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health
Seán O'Grady Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Lands
Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence
Seán Moylan Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce

1st government of Ireland

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1st government of Ireland
 
Government of Ireland
 
Date formed29 December 1937
Date dissolved30 June 1938
People and organisations
President
TaoiseachÉamon de Valera
TánaisteSeán T. O'Kelly
Total no. of members10
Member partyFianna Fáil
Status in legislatureMinority Government
Opposition partyFine Gael
Opposition leaderW. T. Cosgrave
History
Legislature terms
Predecessor8th executive council
Successor2nd government

Under Article 56 of the Constitution of Ireland, the 8th Executive Council of the Irish Free State led by Éamon de Valera of Fianna Fáil became the 1st Government of Ireland (29 December 1937 – 30 June 1938). The offices of President of the Executive Council and Vice-President of the Executive Council were abolished, and replaced by the offices of Taoiseach and Tánaiste respectively. There was no fresh approval or appointment of the government and no change in the personnel of the Government.

Office Name
Taoiseach Éamon de Valera
Minister for External Affairs
Tánaiste Seán T. O'Kelly
Minister for Local Government and Public Health
Minister for Justice P. J. Ruttledge
Minister for Industry and Commerce Seán Lemass
Minister for Finance Seán MacEntee
Minister for Agriculture James Ryan
Minister for Defence Frank Aiken
Minister for Education Thomas Derrig
Minister for Lands Gerald Boland
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs Oscar Traynor

Parliamentary secretaries

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Name Office
Patrick Little Government Chief Whip
Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for External Affairs
Hugo Flinn Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance
Conn Ward Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health
Seán O'Grady Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Lands
Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence
Seán Moylan Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce

Foreign relations

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The government signed the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom on 25 April 1938, which brought the Anglo-Irish trade war to a close and transferred the Treaty Ports to Ireland. These were the ports of Berehaven, Cóbh and Lough Swilly which had stayed under the control of the United Kingdom after the establishment of the Irish Free State.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Election of President of the Executive Council – Dáil Éireann (9th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 July 1937". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Election of President of the Executive Council – Votes – Dáil Éireann (9th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 July 1937". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Nomination of Executive Council – Dáil Éireann (9th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 July 1937". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  4. ^ "History of Government – Ninth Dáil – Parliamentary Secretaries". Government of Ireland. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  5. ^ "British-Irish tripartite agreement on trade, finance and defence from Text of British-Agreements". Documents on Irish Foreign Policy. 25 April 1938. Retrieved 19 April 2020.