Government of the 5th Dáil

The Government of the 5th Dáil or the 3rd Executive Council (23 June 1927 – 11 October 1927) was formed after the June 1927 general election held on 9 June 1927. It was led by W. T. Cosgrave, leader of Cumann na nGaedheal, as President of the Executive Council, who had led the government since August 1922.

Government of the 5th Dáil
3rd Executive Council of the Irish Free State
Date formed	23 June 1927
Date dissolved	11 October 1927
People and organisations
King	George V
Governor-General	Tim Healy
President of the Executive Council	W. T. Cosgrave
Vice-President of the Executive Council	Kevin O'Higgins (June–July 1927) Ernest Blythe (July–Oct. 1927)
Total no. of members	10
Member party	Cumann na nGaedheal
Status in legislature	Minority Government
Opposition parties	Labour Party Fianna Fáil
Opposition leaders	Thomas Johnson (June–Aug. 1927) (Lab) Éamon de Valera (Aug.–Oct. 1927) (FF)
History
Election(s)	June 1927 general election
Legislature term(s)	5th Dáil 1st Seanad (1925–28)
Predecessor	2nd Executive Council
Successor	4th Executive Council

The 3rd Executive Council lasted 110 days.

3rd Executive Council of the Irish Free State

Nomination of President of the Executive Council

The members of the 5th Dáil first met on 23 June 1927. In the debate on the nomination of the President of the Executive Council, Cumann na nGaedheal leader and outgoing President W. T. Cosgrave was proposed, and this resolution was carried with 68 votes in favour and 22 against.[1] Cosgrave was then appointed as President of the Executive Council by Governor-General Tim Healy.[2]

23 June 1927 Nomination of W. T. Cosgrave (CnaG) as President of the Executive Council[3] Motion proposed by James Murphy and seconded by Peadar Doyle Absolute majority: 77/153
Vote	Parties	Votes
Y Yes	Cumann na nGaedheal (44), Farmers' Party (11), Independents (13)	68 / 153
No	Labour Party (22)	22 / 153
Absent or Not voting	National League Party (8), Cumann na nGaedheal (2), Independents (2), Ceann Comhairle (1)	13 / 153
Abstentionist	Fianna Fáil (44), Sinn Féin (5), Independent (1)	50 / 153

Members of the Executive Council

The members of the Executive Council were nominated by the President and approved by the Dáil.[2] They were then appointed by the Governor General.[4]

Office	Name
President of the Executive Council		W. T. Cosgrave
Vice-President of the Executive Council		Kevin O'Higgins
Minister for External Affairs
Minister for Justice
Minister for Finance		Ernest Blythe
Minister for Defence		Desmond FitzGerald
Minister for Industry and Commerce		Patrick McGilligan
Minister for Education		John M. O'Sullivan
Minister for Agriculture and Lands		Patrick Hogan
Minister for Fisheries		Fionán Lynch
Minister for Local Government and Public Health		Richard Mulcahy
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs		James J. Walsh
Changes 14 July 1927 Following the assassination of Kevin O'Higgins.[5][6][7]
Office	Name
Vice-President of the Executive Council		Ernest Blythe
Minister for External Affairs		W. T. Cosgrave (acting)
Minister for Justice

Parliamentary Secretaries

The Parliamentary Secretaries were appointed by the Executive Council on the nomination of the President.[8]

Name		Office
	Eamonn Duggan	Government Chief Whip
		Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence
	Séamus Burke	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance
	James FitzGerald-Kenney	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Justice
	Martin Roddy	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Fisheries

Actions of the government

After the assassination of Kevin O'Higgins on 10 July 1927, the Executive Council proposed the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill.[9] This legislation provided for the disqualification for five years of any member of the Oireachtas who did not take the Oath of Allegiance prescribed in Article 17 of the Constitution of the Irish Free State. After this legislation had passed both houses, the TDs elected for Fianna Fáil led by Éamon de Valera took the oath and entered the Dáil for the first time since the 1922 general election.[10]

Confidence in the government

On 16 August, Labour Party leader Thomas Johnson proposed a motion of no confidence in the Executive Council. The motion was defeated, but only on the casting vote of the Ceann Comhairle Michael Hayes, giving a final vote of 71 votes to 72.[11] Although the Executive Council had narrowly retained the confidence of the Dáil, the president sought a dissolution of the Dáil and a new election was held in September 1927.

See also

• Dáil Éireann
• Government of Ireland
• Constitution of the Irish Free State
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland

References

1. "NOMINATION OF PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Thursday, 23 June 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
2. "NOMINATION OF MINISTERS, MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Thursday, 23 June 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
3. "NOMINATION OF PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL – Votes – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Tuesday, 23 June 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
4. "APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Thursday, 30 June 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
5. "NOMINATION OF MINISTER FOR JUSTICE AND MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Thursday, 14 July 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
6. "NOMINATION OF VICE-PRESIDENT OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Thursday, 14 July 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
7. "MINISTER FOR JUSTICE AND MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Wednesday, 20 July 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
8. "History of Government – Fifth Dáil – Parliamentary Secretaries". Department of the Taoiseach. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
9. "Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
10. "NEW DEPUTIES TAKE THEIR SEATS – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Friday, 12 August 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
11. "PUBLIC BUSINESS. - NO CONFIDENCE MOTION – Dáil Éireann (5th Dáil) – Tuesday, 16 August 1927". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 August 2019.