Government of the 18th Dáil
There were two Governments of the 18th Dáil, which was elected at the general election held on 7 April 1965. The 11th Government of Ireland (21 April 1965 – 10 November 1966) was led by Sean Lemass as Taoiseach, while the 12th Government of Ireland (10 November 1966 – 2 July 1969) was led by Jack Lynch as Taoiseach. Both were single-party Fianna Fáil governments, which had been in government since the 1957 election.
The 11th Government lasted for 568 days and the 12th Government lasted for 965 days.
11th Government of Ireland
| Government of the 18th Dáil | |
|---|---|
| 11th Government of Ireland | |
 | |
| Date formed | 21 April 1965 |
| Date dissolved | 10 November 1966 |
| People and organisations | |
| President | Éamon de Valera |
| Taoiseach | Seán Lemass |
| Tánaiste | Frank Aiken |
| Total no. of members | 14 |
| Member party | Fianna Fáil |
| Status in legislature | Majority Government |
| Opposition party | Fine Gael |
| Opposition leader | Liam Cosgrave |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 1965 general election |
| Legislature term(s) | 18th Dáil 11th Seanad |
| Predecessor | 10th Government |
| Successor | 12th Government |
Nomination of Taoiseach
The members of the 18th Dáil first met on 21 April 1965. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Seán Lemass, Fine Gael leader James Dillon, and Labour Party leader Brendan Corish were each proposed.[1] The nomination of Lemass was carried with 72 votes in favour and 67 votes against. Lemass was then appointed as Taoiseach by President Éamon de Valera.[2]
| 21 April 1965 Nomination of Seán Lemass (FF) for Taoiseach[3] Motion proposed by Seán MacEntee and seconded by Johnny Geoghegan Absolute majority: 73/144 | ||
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 | Fianna Fáil (72) | 72 / 144 |
| No | Fine Gael (47), Labour Party (20) | 67 / 144 |
| Absent or Not voting | Ceann Comhairle (1), Independents (2), Labour Party (1), Clann na Poblachta (1) | 5 / 144 |
Members of the Government
After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Seán Lemass proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil.[4] They were appointed by the president on the same day.[5]
- Change to department
- On 2 July 2965 the Department of Agriculture was renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.[6]
Parliamentary Secretaries
On 21 April 1965, the Government appointed the Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.[5]
| Name | Office | |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Carty | Government Chief Whip | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence | ||
| Patrick Lalor | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture | |
| Jim Gibbons | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance | |
| Pádraig Faulkner | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht | |
| Seán Flanagan | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce | |
| Paudge Brennan | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government | |
Resignation
Seán Lemass resigned as Fianna Fáil leader and Jack Lynch won the leadership election to succeed him on 9 November 1966. On the following day, Lemass resigned as Taoiseach.[10]
12th Government of Ireland
The 12th Government was formed by Jack Lynch after the resignation of Seán Lemass.
| Government of the 18th Dáil | |
|---|---|
| 12th Government of Ireland | |
.jpg) | |
| Date formed | 10 November 1966 |
| Date dissolved | 2 July 1969 |
| People and organisations | |
| President | Éamon de Valera |
| Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
| Tánaiste | Frank Aiken |
| Total no. of members | 14 |
| Member party | Fianna Fáil |
| Status in legislature | Majority Government |
| Opposition party | Fine Gael |
| Opposition leader | Liam Cosgrave |
| History | |
| Legislature term(s) | 18th Dáil 11th Seanad |
| Predecessor | 11th Government |
| Successor | 13th Government |
Nomination of Taoiseach
On 10 November 1966, in the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader Jack Lynch, Fine Gael leader Liam Cosgrave, and Labour Party leader Brendan Corish were each proposed.[11] The nomination of Lynch was carried with 71 votes in favour and 64 votes against. Lynch was then appointed as Taoiseach by President Éamon de Valera.[12]
| 10 November 1966 Nomination of Jack Lynch (FF) for Taoiseach[13] Motion proposed by Seán Lemass and seconded by Frank Aiken Absolute majority: 73/144 | ||
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil (71) | 71 / 144 |
| No | Fine Gael (44), Labour Party (20) | 64 / 144 |
| Absent or Not voting | Ceann Comhairle (1), Independents (2), Fine Gael (2), Labour Party (1), Clann na Poblachta (1) | 7 / 144 |
| Vacancies | 2[14][15] | 2 / 144 |
Members of the Government
After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Seán Lemass proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil on 16 November 1966.[16] They were appointed by the president on the same day.[17]
Parliamentary Secretaries
On 16 November 1966, the Government appointed the Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.[17]
| Name | Office | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Carty | Government Chief Whip | 1966–1969 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence | 1966–1969 | ||
| Don Davern | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries | 1966–1968 | |
| Jim Gibbons | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1966–1969 | |
| Pádraig Faulkner | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht | 1966–1968 | |
| Paudge Brennan | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government | 1966–1969 | |
| Patrick Lalor | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | 1966–1969 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Power | 1966–1969 | ||
Constitutional referendums
The government proposed the Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968, which would have allowed for divergence in the ratio of population to representation across Dáil constituencies, and the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968, which would have altered the electoral system from proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) to first past the post (FPTP). They were put to referendums on 16 October 1968, and both were defeated by a margin of 39.2% to 60.8% of votes cast. It was the second time a Fianna Fáil government had proposed to introduce FPTP, with a previous referendum defeated in 1959.
References
- "Nomination of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 April 1965". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Appointment of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 April 1965". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Nomination of Taoiseach – Votes – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 April 1965". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Nomination of Members of the Government – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 April 1965". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- "Appointment of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Tuesday, 27 April 1965". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Agriculture (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1965". Irish Statute Book. 6 July 1965. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- "Nomination of Member of Government – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Wednesday, 6 July 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- "Appointment of Minister – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Thursday, 7 July 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- "Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1966 (Appointed Day) Order 1966". Irish Statute Book. 12 July 1966. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- "Resignation of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Thursday, 10 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- "Nomination of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Thursday, 10 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Appointment of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Thursday, 10 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Nomination of Taoiseach – Votes – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Thursday, 10 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Death of Member: Expression of Sympathy – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Tuesday, 18 October 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Death of Member: Expression of Sympathy – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Tuesday, 25 October 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Nomination of Members of Government – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Thursday, 10 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.; "Nomination of Members of Government – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Friday, 11 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.; "Nomination of Members of Government – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Wednesday, 16 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- "Appointment of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Thursday, 17 November 1966". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Nomination of Member of Government – Dáil Éireann (18th Dáil) – Tuesday, 26 March 1968". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.