Government of the 11th Dáil

The 3rd government of Ireland (1 July 1943 – 9 June 1944) was the government of Ireland formed after the 1943 general election to the 11th Dáil held on 23 June. It was a single-party Fianna Fáil government led by Éamon de Valera as Taoiseach. Fianna Fáil had been in office since the 1932 general election. It lasted for 344 days.

3rd government of Ireland
Government of Ireland
Date formed	1 July 1943
Date dissolved	9 June 1944
People and organisations
President	Douglas Hyde
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Tánaiste	Seán T. O'Kelly
Total no. of members	12
Member party	Fianna Fáil
Status in legislature	Minority Government
Opposition party	Fine Gael
Opposition leader	W. T. Cosgrave (1943–Jan. 1944) Thomas F. O'Higgins (Jan.–June 1944)
History
Election	1943 general election
Legislature terms	11th Dáil 4th Seanad
Predecessor	2nd government
Successor	4th government

Nomination of Taoiseach

The 11th Dáil first met on 1 July 1943. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and Fine Gael leader and former President of the Executive Council W. T. Cosgrave were both proposed. The nomination of de Valera was approved by 67 to 37.^[1] De Valera was then appointed as Taoiseach by President Douglas Hyde.^[2]

1 July 1943 Nomination of Éamon de Valera (FF) as Taoiseach[3] Motion proposed by Donnchadh Ó Briain and seconded by Brian Brady Absolute majority: 70/138
Vote	Parties	Votes
Y Yes	Fianna Fáil (66), Independent (1)	67 / 138
No	Fine Gael (32), Independents (5)	37 / 138
Absent or Not voting	Labour Party (17), Clann na Talmhan (14), Independents (3), Ceann Comhairle (1)	34 / 138

Members of the government

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Éamon de Valera proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil on 2 July 1943.^[4] They were then appointed by the president.

Office	Name
Taoiseach		Éamon de Valera
Minister for External Affairs
Tánaiste		Seán T. O'Kelly
Minister for Finance
Minister for Industry and Commerce		Seán Lemass
Minister for Supplies
Minister for Local Government and Public Health		Seán MacEntee
Minister for Agriculture		James Ryan
Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures		Frank Aiken
Minister for Education		Thomas Derrig
Minister for Justice		Gerald Boland
Minister for Defence		Oscar Traynor
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs		Patrick Little
Minister for Lands		Seán Moylan

Parliamentary Secretaries

On 2 July, the government appointed parliamentary secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.^[5]

Name		Office	Term
	Eamon Kissane	Government Chief Whip	1943–1944
		Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence	1943–1944
	Paddy Smith	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance	1943–1944
	Conn Ward	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health[6]	1943–1944
	Seán O'Grady	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce	1943–1944
	Erskine H. Childers	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health	Mar.–Jun. 1944

References

1. "Election of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (11th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 1 July 1943. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
2. "Appointment of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (11th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 1 July 1943. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
3. "Nomination of Taoiseach – Votes – Dáil Éireann (11th Dáil) – Thursday, 1 July 1943". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
4. "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion of Approval – Dáil Éireann (11th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 1 July 1943. Retrieved 27 August 2019.; "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion of Approval (Resumed) – Dáil Éireann (11th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 1 July 1943. Retrieved 27 August 2019.; "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion of Approval (Resumed) – Dáil Éireann (11th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 2 July 1943. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
5. "History of Government – Eleventh Dáil – Parliamentary Secretaries". Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
6. Local Government and Public Health (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 1944 (S.R.O. No. 103 of 1944). Signed on 31 March 1944. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.