Government of the 10th Dáil

The Government of the 10th Dáil or the 2nd Government of Ireland (30 June 1938 – 1 July 1943) was the government of Ireland formed after the 1938 general election held on 17 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.

Government of the 10th Dáil
2nd Government of Ireland
Date formed	30 June 1938
Date dissolved	1 July 1943
People and organisations
President	Douglas Hyde
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Tánaiste	Seán T. O'Kelly
Total no. of members	10 (1938–39) 12 (1939–43)
Member party	Fianna Fáil
Status in legislature	Majority Government
Opposition party	Fine Gael
Opposition leader	W. T. Cosgrave
History
Election(s)	1938 general election
Legislature term(s)	10th Dáil 3rd Seanad
Predecessor	1st Government
Successor	3rd Government

The 2nd Government lasted for 1,827 days.

2nd Government of Ireland

Nomination of Taoiseach

The members of the 10th Dáil first met on 30 June 1938. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera was proposed. The motion was approved by 75 to 45.[1] De Valera was then appointed as Taoiseach by President Douglas Hyde.[2] This was just five days after the inauguration of Hyde as the first President of Ireland on 25 June.

30 June 1938 Nomination of Éamon de Valera (FF) as Taoiseach[3] Motion proposed by Gerald Bartley and seconded by Bernard Maguire Absolute majority: 70/138
Vote	Parties	Votes
Yes	Fianna Fáil (74), Independent (1)	75 / 138
No	Fine Gael (44), Independent (1)	45 / 138
Absent or Not voting	Labour Party (9), Fianna Fáil (2), Fine Gael (1), Independents (5), Ceann Comhairle (1)	19 / 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.[4] They were then appointed by the president.

Office	Name		Term
Taoiseach		Éamon de Valera	1938–1943
Minister for External Affairs
Tánaiste		Seán T. O'Kelly	1938–1943
Minister for Local Government and Public Health			1938–1939
Minister for Justice		P. J. Ruttledge	1938–1939
Minister for Industry and Commerce		Seán Lemass	1938–1939
Minister for Finance		Seán MacEntee	1938–1939
Minister for Agriculture		James Ryan	1938–1943
Minister for Defence		Frank Aiken	1938–1939
Minister for Education		Thomas Derrig	1938–1939
Minister for Lands		Gerald Boland	1938–1939
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs		Oscar Traynor	1938–1939
Changes 8 September 1939 Re-organisation on declaration of The Emergency.[5]
Office	Name		Term
Minister for Education		Seán T. O'Kelly	(acting)
Minister for Local Government and Public Health		P. J. Ruttledge	1939–1941
Minister for Supplies		Seán Lemass	1939–1943
Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures		Frank Aiken	1939–1943
Minister for Lands		Thomas Derrig	1939–1943
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs			(acting)
Minister for Justice		Gerald Boland	1939–1943
Minister for Defence		Oscar Traynor	1939–1943
Changes 16 September 1939
Office	Name		Term
Minister for Finance		Seán T. O'Kelly	1939–1943
Minister for Industry and Commerce		Seán MacEntee	1939–1941
Changes 27 September 1939 Appointment of new member of government.[6][7]
Office	Name		Term
Minister for Education		Éamon de Valera	(acting)
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs		Patrick Little	1939–1943
Changes 18 June 1940
Office	Name		Term
Minister for Education		Thomas Derrig	1940–1943
Changes 15 August 1941
Office	Name		Term
Minister for Local Government and Public Health		Éamon de Valera	(acting)
Changes 18 August 1941
Office	Name		Term
Minister for Industry and Commerce		Seán Lemass	1941–1943
Minister for Local Government and Public Health		Seán MacEntee	1941–1943

Parliamentary Secretaries

On 30 June 1938, the Government appointed Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.[8]

Name		Office	Term
	Patrick Little	Government Chief Whip	1938–1939
		Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for External Affairs	1938–1939
	Hugo Flinn	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance	1938–Jan 1943
	Conn Ward	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health	1938–1943
	Seán O'Grady	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence	1938–1939
	Seán Moylan	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce	1938–Feb 1943
Changes 27 September 1939 Changes following the appointment of Patrick Little as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.
Name		Office	Term
	Paddy Smith	Government Chief Whip	1939–1943
		Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for External Affairs	1939–1943
	Seán Moylan	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence	1939–1943
Changes 12 September 1941
Name		Office	Term
	Seán O'Grady	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands	1941–Feb 1943
	Hugo Flinn	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health	1941–Jan 1943
Changes 9 February 1943 Changes following the death of Hugo Flinn.
Name		Office	Term
	Seán Moylan	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance	Feb–Jun 1943
	Seán O'Grady	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce	Feb–Jun 1943
	Eamonn Kissane	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands	Feb–Jun 1943

Constitutional amendments

During the first three years of the term of office of the first President of Ireland, the Oireachtas could pass amendments to the Constitution of Ireland without a referendum. This period lasted from 25 June 1938 to 24 June 1941. The First Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland was introduced and signed into law on 2 September 1939, allowing the Oireachtas to resolve that a state of emergency exists when an armed conflict exists outside of the state. The Emergency was declared on the same day, and the emergency powers lapsed on 2 September 1946. The Second Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland was signed into law on 30 May 1941 and was an omnibus amendment with 40 separate changes across the text of the Constitution. Both amendments were proposed by the Taoiseach.

See also

• Dáil Éireann
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland

References

1. "Election of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil) – Thursday, 30 June 1938". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
2. "Appointment of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil) – Thursday, 30 June 1938". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
3. "Election of Taoiseach – Votes – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil) – Thursday, 30 June 1938". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
4. "Nomination of Members of Government – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil) – Thursday, 30 June 1938". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
5. "Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. – Changes in the Ministry – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil) – Wednesday, 27 September 1939". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
6. "Nomination of Member of Government – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil) – Wednesday, 27 September 1939". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
7. "Appointment of Minister – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil) – Thursday, 28 September 1939". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
8. "History of Government – Tenth Dáil – Parliamentary Secretaries". Government of Ireland. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2021.