Government of the 4th Dáil
Government of the Irish Free State 1923 to 1927
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The 2nd executive council of the Irish Free State (19 September 1923 – 23 June 1927) was formed after the general election to the 4th Dáil held on 27 August 1923. It was a minority Cumann na nGaedheal government led by W. T. Cosgrave as President of the Executive Council. It lasted 3 years, 277 days.
2nd executive council of the Irish Free State | |
|---|---|
| Executive Council of the Irish Free State | |
 | |
| Date formed | 19 September 1923 |
| Date dissolved | 23 June 1927 |
| People and organisations | |
| George V | |
| Tim Healy | |
| W. T. Cosgrave | |
| Kevin O'Higgins | |
Total no. of members | 11 (inc. 4 non-members of the Executive Council) |
Member party | Cumann na nGaedheal |
Status in legislature | Minority government |
Opposition party | Labour Party |
Opposition leader | Thomas Johnson |
| History | |
| Election | 1923 general election |
| Legislature terms | |
| Predecessor | 1st executive council |
| Successor | 3rd executive council |
President of the Executive Council
The 4th Dáil first met on 19 September 1923. The nomination of W. T. Cosgrave as President of the Executive Council was proposed by Richard Mulcahy and seconded by William Magennis. It was approved by the Dáil and Cosgrave was re-appointed by the governor-general.[1]
Members of the Executive Council
The members of the Executive Council were proposed by the president and approved by the Dáil on 20 September 1923.[2]
| Office | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| President of the Executive Council | W. T. Cosgrave | |
| Vice-President of the Executive Council | Kevin O'Higgins | |
| Minister for Home Affairs | ||
| Minister for Defence | Richard Mulcahy | |
| Minister for Education | Eoin MacNeill | |
| Minister for External Affairs | Desmond FitzGerald | |
| Minister for Finance | Ernest Blythe | |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | Joseph McGrath | |
Change on 20 March 1924Richard Mulcahy resigned after criticism by the Executive Council | ||
| Office | Name | |
| Minister for Defence | W. T. Cosgrave (acting) | |
Change on 4 April 1924Joseph McGrath resigned on 7 March 1924 because of dissatisfaction with | ||
| Office | Name | |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | Patrick McGilligan | |
Change on 21 November 1924Permanent Minister for Defence.[5] | ||
| Office | Name | |
| Minister for Defence | Peter Hughes | |
Change on 28 January 1926Eoin MacNeill resigned in November 1925 after a leak of the report of the Irish Boundary Commission | ||
| Office | Name | |
| Minister for Education | John M. O'Sullivan | |
Ministers not members of the Executive Council
Extern Ministers were appointed by the Dáil on 10 October.[8]
Parliamentary secretaries
The Executive Council appointed Parliamentary secretaries, with Daniel McCarthy continuing as Chief Whip from the beginning of the term.[12]
| Name | Office | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel McCarthy | Government Chief Whip | 1922–1924 | |
Appointment 21 April 1924 | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| Eamonn Duggan | Parliamentary secretary to the Executive Council | 1924–1926 | |
Appointment 1 December 1924 | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| John M. O'Sullivan | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1924–1926 | |
Change 19 June 1924Following the resignation of Daniel McCarthy from the Dáil. | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| James Dolan | Government Chief Whip | 1924–1927 | |
Appointment 15 January 1925 | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| George Nicolls | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence | 1925–1927 | |
Change 10 May 1926Following the appointment of John O'Sullivan to the Executive Council in January. | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| Eamonn Duggan | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1926–1927 | |
Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924
The Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 came into effect on 2 June 1924.[13] On this date, the following ministerial titles were renamed:[14]
| Old title | New title |
|---|---|
| Minister for Home Affairs | Minister for Justice |
| Minister for Local Government | Minister for Local Government and Public Health |
| Minister for Agriculture | Minister for Lands and Agriculture |
| Postmaster-General | Minister for Posts and Telegraphs |
Amendments to the Constitution of the Irish Free State
The following amendments to the Constitution of the Irish Free State were proposed by the Executive Council and passed by the Oireachtas:
- Amendment No. 1 (11 July 1925): Provided that the first Senators would vacate office in December 1925, made changes relating to the terms of office of senators, and the date on which Seanad elections were to be held.
- Amendment No. 3 (4 March 1927): Removed the requirement that the day of any general election would be declared a public holiday.
- Amendment No. 4 (4 March 1927): Extended the maximum term of the Dáil from four to six years.
- Amendment No. 2 (19 March 1927): Introduced a system of automatic re-election of the Ceann Comhairle in a general election.
- Amendment No. 5 (5 May 1927): Increased the maximum membership of the Executive Council from seven to twelve members.