Government of the 15th Dáil

7th government of Ireland

Government of Ireland
Date formed2 June 1954
Date dissolved20 March 1957
People and organisations
PresidentSeán T. O'Kelly
TaoiseachJohn A. Costello
TánaisteWilliam Norton
Total no. of members13 (14 from 1956)
Member parties
Status in legislatureCoalition
Opposition partyFianna Fáil
Opposition leaderÉamon de Valera
History
Election1954 general election
Legislature terms
Predecessor6th government
Successor8th government

The 7th government of Ireland (2 June 1954 – 20 March 1957), commonly known as the Second inter-party government, was the government of Ireland formed after the 1954 general election to the 15th Dáil held on 18 May. It was a minority government of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Clann na Talmhan. Clann na Poblachta, which had been in the First inter-party government (1948–1951) with these parties, supported the government but did form part of it. It lasted for 2 years, 291 days.

Nomination of Taoiseach

The 15th Dáil first met on 2 June 1954. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and former Taoiseach John A. Costello of Fine Gael were both proposed. The nomination of de Valera was defeated with 66 votes cast in favour and 78 against, while the nomination of Costello was approved by 79 to 66.[1] Costello was appointed as Taoiseach by President Seán T. O'Kelly.[2]

2 June 1954
Nomination of John A. Costello (FG) as Taoiseach[3]
Motion proposed by Richard Mulcahy and seconded by William Norton
Absolute majority: 74/147
Vote Parties Votes
checkY Yes Fine Gael (50), Labour Party (18), Clann na Talmhan (5), Clann na Poblachta (3), Independents (3)
79 / 147
No Fianna Fáil (65), Independent (1)
66 / 147
Not voting Ceann Comhairle (1), Independent (1)
2 / 147

Members of the Government

The Ministers of the Government were proposed by the Taoiseach and approved by the Dáil.[4] They were appointed by the president on the same day.[5]

Office Name Term Party
Taoiseach John A. Costello 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Tánaiste William Norton 1954–1957 Labour Party
Minister for Industry and Commerce
Minister for Education Richard Mulcahy 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Minister for Lands Joseph Blowick 1954–1957 Clann na Talmhan
Minister for Justice James Everett 1954–1957 Labour
Minister for Agriculture James Dillon 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Minister for Defence Seán Mac Eoin 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs Michael Keyes 1954–1957 Labour
Minister for External Affairs Liam Cosgrave 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Minister for Social Welfare Brendan Corish 1954–1957 Labour
Minister for Finance Gerard Sweetman 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Minister for Local Government Patrick O'Donnell 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Minister for Health Tom O'Higgins 1954–1957 Fine Gael

Change 2 July 1956

Establishment of the Department of the Gaeltacht.[6][7]

Office Name Term Party
Minister for the Gaeltacht Richard Mulcahy 1956 Fine Gael

Changes 24 October 1956

Assignment of separate Minister for the Gaeltacht.[8][9]

Office Name Term Party
Minister for the Gaeltacht Patrick Lindsay 1956–1957 Fine Gael

Parliamentary Secretaries

On 3 June 1954, the government appointed the Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.[5]

Name Office Term Party
Denis J. O'Sullivan Government Chief Whip 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence
John O'Donovan Parliamentary Secretary to the Government 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Michael Donnellan Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance 1954–1957 Clann na Talmhan
William Davin Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government 1954–1956 Labour
Oliver J. Flanagan Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture 1954–1957 Fine Gael
Patrick Crotty Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce 1954–1957 Fine Gael

Change 16 March 1956

Following the death of William Davin on 1 March 1956.[10][11]

Name Office Term Party
Dan Spring Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government 1956–1957 Labour

Changes 3 July 1956

Following the establishment of the Department of the Gaeltacht[6]

Name Office Term Party
Patrick Lindsay Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht Jul.–Oct. 1956 Fine Gael
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education

Foreign Policy

Ireland joined the United Nations in 1955.

Dissolution of the Dáil

The government ended when the Clann na Poblachta withdrew its support in 1957. Fine Gael and Labour had also both lost seats in by-elections to Fianna Fáil the previous year. Costello sought a dissolution of the Dáil on 4 February 1957 which was granted by the president, leading to a general election on 9 March 1957.

References

  1. ^ "Nomination of Taoiseach". Dáil Debates – Vol. 146 No. 1. 2 June 1954. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Appointment of Taoiseach". Dáil Debates – Vol. 146 No. 1. 2 June 1954. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Nomination of Taoiseach – Votes – 2 June 1954". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion of Approval". Dáil Debates – Vol. 146 No. 1. 2 June 1954. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries". Dáil Debates – Vol. 149 No. 1. 25 June 1954. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Aireacht na Gaeltachta - Aire agus Rúnaí Parlaiminte a Cheapadh". Dáil Debates – Vol. 159 No. 1 (in Irish). 3 July 1956. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  7. ^ Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1956 (Appointed Day) Order 1956 (S.I. No. 152 of 1956). Signed on 28 June 1956. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 25 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion of Approval". Dáil Debates – Vol. 160 No. 1. 24 October 1956. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Minister for Gaeltacht—Statement by Taoiseach". Dáil Debates – Vol. 160 No. 1. 24 October 1956. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Death of Parliamentary Secretary". Dáil Debates – 154 No. 8. 1 March 1956. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Announcement of Appointment of Parliamentary Secretary". Seanad Debates – Vol. 45 No. 17. 21 March 1956.