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The 7th executive council of the Irish Free State (8 February 1933 – 21 July 1937) was the Executive Council formed after the general election to the 8th Dáil 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. It lasted for 1,625 days.
7th executive council of the Irish Free State | |
|---|---|
| Executive Council of the Irish Free State | |
 | |
| Date formed | 8 February 1933 |
| Date dissolved | 21 July 1937 |
| People and organisations | |
| King |
|
| Governor-General | Domhnall Ua Buachalla (until 11 Dec. 1936) |
| President of the Executive Council | Éamon de Valera |
| Vice-President of the Executive Council | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Total no. of members | 10 |
| Member party | Fianna Fáil |
| Status in legislature | Minority Government |
| Opposition party | Cumann na nGaedheal |
| Opposition leader | W. T. Cosgrave |
| History | |
| Election | 1933 general election |
| Legislature terms | |
| Predecessor | 6th executive council |
| Successor | 8th executive council |
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 |
|---|---|---|
 Yes | Fianna Fáil (74), Labour Party (8) | 82 / 153 |
| No | Cumann 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 |
The members of the Executive Council were proposed by the President and approved by the Dáil.[3] They were appointed by the Governor-General on the same day.[4][5]
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| Office | Name | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Executive Council | Éamon de Valera | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for External Affairs | |||
| Vice-President of the Executive Council | Seán T. O'Kelly | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health | |||
| Minister for Justice | P. J. Ruttledge | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | Seán Lemass | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for Finance | Seán MacEntee | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for Agriculture | James Ryan | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for Defence | Frank Aiken | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for Education | Thomas Derrig | 1933–1937 | |
| Minister for Lands and Fisheries | Joseph Connolly | 1933–1936 | |
| Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | Gerald Boland | 1933–1936 | |
Changes 3 June 1936Reassignment of department on abolition of Seanad Éireann.[6][7][8] | |||
| Office | Name | Term | |
| Minister for Lands and Fisheries | Frank Aiken | 1936 | |
Changes 11 November 1936 | |||
| Office | Name | Term | |
| Minister for Lands and Fisheries | Gerald Boland | 1936–1937 | |
| Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | Oscar Traynor | 1936–1937 | |
Conor Maguire SC was appointed by the Governor-General as Attorney General on the nomination of the Executive Council.[11]
On 8 February, the Executive Council appointed Parliamentary secretaries on the nomination of the President.[12][5]
| Name | Office | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Little | Government Chief Whip | 1933–1937 | |
| Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for External Affairs | 1933–1937 | ||
| Hugo Flinn | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1933–1937 | |
| Conn Ward | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health | 1933–1937 | |
| Seán O'Grady | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Lands and Fisheries | 1933–1937 | |
Changes 3 June 1936On the assignment of a second department to Aiken.[13] | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| Oscar Traynor | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence | Jun.–Nov. 1936 | |
Changes 11 November 1936On the appointment of Oscar Traynor to the Executive Council. | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| Seán O'Grady | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence | 1936–1937 | |
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.
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.
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.
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