Government of the 13th Dáil
Government of the 13th Dáil | |
|---|---|
| 5th Government of Ireland | |
| Date formed | 18 February 1948 |
| Date dissolved | 13 June 1951 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Head of government | John A. Costello |
| Deputy head of government | William Norton |
| Total no. of members | 12 |
| Member parties | Fine Gael Labour Party Clann na Poblachta Clann na Talmhan National Labour Party Independent |
| Status in legislature | Coalition |
| Opposition leader | Éamon de Valera (Fianna Fáil) |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 1948 general election |
| Legislature term(s) | 13th Dáil |
| Predecessor | 4th Government |
| Successor | 6th Government |
The 13th Dáil was elected at the 1948 general election on 4 February 1948 and first met on 18 February when the 5th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 13th Dáil lasted for 1,211 days.
The 5th Government of Ireland (18 February 1948 – 13 June 1951)—more commonly known as the First Inter-Party Government—is the name given to the government that led Ireland from 1948 to 1951.[1] The government was made up of five political parties—Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Clann na Poblachta, Clann na Talmhan and the National Labour Party—and one TD who was (at least in theory) an independent, James Dillon (who had resigned from Fine Gael after opposing its neutral stance in World War II). This was the first change of government since 1932. The parties had many different aims and viewpoints, but a united dislike of Fianna Fáil overcame all difficulties in forming a government. The Cabinet was made up of representatives of all parties, and ministers were given a great degree of independence. Some key events during the lifetime of the government include the declaration of the Republic of Ireland in 1948 and the crisis surrounding the "Mother and Child Scheme" in 1951.
Origins
Fianna Fáil had ruled uninterrupted since 1932, with Éamon de Valera as prime minister (titled as President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State until 1937, and since then as Taoiseach). However, the 1948 general election left the party six seats short of a majority. Negotiations for confidence and supply with the National Labour Party failed when National Labour insisted on a formal coalition; at that time, Fianna Fáil would not enter coalitions with other parties. At first, it seemed that de Valera would attempt to head a minority government. Fianna Fáil had 37 more seats than the next-largest party, Fine Gael, and thus appeared to be the only party that could possibly form a government.
However, to the surprise of most observers, the other parties realised that if they banded together, they would have only one seat fewer than Fianna Fáil, and would be able to form a government with the support of at least seven independents.
It was a foregone conclusion that Fine Gael would head such a coalition, since it was by far the second-largest party. Fine Gael's leader, Richard Mulcahy, thus appeared to have the inside track to becoming Taoiseach. However, Labour leader William Norton told him that in all likelihood, Clann na Poblachta would not serve under Mulcahy. Clann na Poblachta's leader, Seán MacBride, and many other Republicans had never forgiven Mulcahy for his role in carrying out 77 executions under the government of the Irish Free State in the early 1920s during the Irish Civil War. Without MacBride, the other parties would have been nine seats short of the 74 they needed to topple de Valera. Accordingly, Mulcahy bowed out in favour of former Attorney General John A. Costello.
On 18 February 1948, on the nomination of the Dáil, Costello was appointed as the second Taoiseach of the Irish state, consigning de Valera to the opposition benches for the first time in 16 years. Costello found himself as leader of a disparate group of young and old politicians, republicans and Free Staters, conservatives and socialists. The government survived, however, through the skill of Costello as Taoiseach and the independence of various ministers.
5th Government of Ireland
Changes 3 May 1949
Following the death of Timothy J. Murphy:
| Office | Name | Term | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Local Government | style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (Ireland)/meta/color" | | William Norton | (acting) | Labour Party | |
Changes 11 May 1949
Following the death of Timothy J. Murphy:
| Office | Name | Term | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Local Government | style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (Ireland)/meta/color" | | Michael Keyes | 1949–51 | Labour Party | |
Changes 7 March 1951
| Office | Name | Term | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Justice | style="background-color: Template:Fine Gael/meta/color" | | Daniel Morrissey | 1951 | Fine Gael | |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | style="background-color: Template:Fine Gael/meta/color" | | Thomas F. O'Higgins | 1951 | Fine Gael | |
| Minister for Defence | style="background-color: Template:Fine Gael/meta/color" | | Seán Mac Eoin | 1951 | Fine Gael | |
Changes 12 April 1951
Following the resignation of Noël Browne:
| Office | Name | Term | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Health | style="background-color: Template:Fine Gael/meta/color" | | John A. Costello | (acting) | Fine Gael | |
See also
- Members of the 13th Dáil
- Parliamentary Secretaries of the 13th Dáil
- Members of the 6th Seanad
- Dáil Éireann
- Constitution of Ireland
- Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Footnotes
- ^ "History of Government – Thirteenth Dáil". Department of the Taoiseach. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ^ James Dillon resigned from Fine Gael in 1942 over his opposition to neutrality, rejoining the party only in 1953; however, he remained closely associated with Fine Gael in the intervening period.
- ^ Noël Browne resigned on 11 April 1951 due to controversy surrounding the Mother and Child Scheme.