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 until the coming into operation of the new constitution and the 1st Government lasted for .
8th executive council of the Irish Free State
Election of President of the Executive Council 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.
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 1937Election of Éamon de Valera (FF) as President of the Executive CouncilMotion proposed by Richard Walsh and seconded by Tom McEllistrimAbsolute majority: 70/138 Vote Parties Votes Yes Fianna Fáil (67), Labour Party (13), Independents (2) No Fine Gael (48), Independents (4) Absent orNot voting Independents (2), Fianna Fáil (1), Ceann Comhairle (1)
Members of the Executive Council The members of the Executive Council were proposed by the President after his election and approved by the Dáil for their appointment by him. Office NamePresident of the Executive CouncilÉamon de ValeraMinister for External AffairsVice-President of the Executive CouncilSeán T. O'KellyMinister for Local Government and Public HealthMinister for JusticeP. J. RuttledgeMinister for Industry and CommerceSeán LemassMinister for FinanceSeán MacEnteeMinister for AgricultureJames RyanMinister for DefenceFrank AikenMinister for EducationThomas DerrigMinister for LandsGerald BolandMinister for Posts and TelegraphsOscar Traynor
Parliamentary secretaries On 21 July, the Executive Council appointed Parliamentary secretaries on the nomination of the President. NameOfficePatrick LittleGovernment Chief WhipParliamentary secretary to the Minister for External AffairsHugo FlinnParliamentary secretary to the Minister for FinanceConn WardParliamentary secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public HealthSeán O'GradyParliamentary secretary to the Minister for LandsParliamentary secretary to the Minister for DefenceSeán MoylanParliamentary secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce
1st government of Ireland
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), with greatly expanded powers. Notably, it was now the de jure and de facto executive authority. The Free State Constitution vested executive power in the King represented by the Governor-General, but convention bound them in almost all cases to act on the advice of the Executive Council.
The offices of President of the Executive Council and Vice-President of the Executive Council were 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 NameTaoiseachÉamon de ValeraMinister for External AffairsTánaisteSeán T. O'KellyMinister for Local Government and Public HealthMinister for JusticeP. J. RuttledgeMinister for Industry and CommerceSeán LemassMinister for FinanceSeán MacEnteeMinister for AgricultureJames RyanMinister for DefenceFrank AikenMinister for EducationThomas DerrigMinister for LandsGerald BolandMinister for Posts and TelegraphsOscar Traynor
Parliamentary secretaries NameOfficePatrick LittleGovernment Chief WhipParliamentary secretary to the Minister for External AffairsHugo FlinnParliamentary secretary to the Minister for FinanceConn WardParliamentary secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public HealthSeán O'GradyParliamentary secretary to the Minister for LandsParliamentary secretary to the Minister for DefenceSeán MoylanParliamentary secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce
Foreign relations 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.
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