Government of the 17th Dáil
The Government of the 17th Dáil or the 10th Government of Ireland (11 October 1961 – 21 April 1965) was the government of Ireland formed after the general election held on 4 October 1961. It was a minority government formed by Fianna Fáil, which had been in office since the 1957 election. It was the first election it had won since Seán Lemass had succeeded Éamon de Valera as leader.
| Government of the 17th Dáil | |
|---|---|
| 10th Government of Ireland | |
 | |
| Date formed | 11 October 1961 |
| Date dissolved | 21 April 1965 |
| People and organisations | |
| President | Éamon de Valera |
| Taoiseach | Seán Lemass |
| Tánaiste | Seán MacEntee |
| Total no. of members | 14 |
| Member party | Fianna Fáil |
| Status in legislature | Minority Government |
| Opposition party | Fine Gael |
| Opposition leader | James Dillon |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 1961 general election |
| Legislature term(s) | 17th Dáil 10th Seanad |
| Predecessor | 9th Government |
| Successor | 11th Government |
The 10th Government lasted for 1,288 days.
10th Government of Ireland
Nomination of Taoiseach
The members of the 17th Dáil first met on 11 October 1961. 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 68 against. Lemass was then re-appointed as Taoiseach by President Éamon de Valera.[2]
| 11 October 1961 Nomination of Seán Lemass (FF) as Taoiseach[3] Motion proposed by Seán MacEntee and seconded by James Ryan Absolute majority: 73/144 | ||
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 Yes | Fianna Fáil (70), Independents (2) | 72 / 144 |
| No | Fine Gael (47), Labour Party (15), Clann na Talmhan (2), National Progressive Democrats (2), Clann na Poblachta (1), Independent (1) | 68 / 144 |
| Not voting | Ceann Comhairle (1), Independents (3) | 4 / 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 12 October 1961.[5]
Parliamentary Secretaries
On 12 October 1961, the Government appointed the Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.[5]
| Name | Office | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Brennan | Government Chief Whip | 1961–1965 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence | 1961–1965 | ||
| Donogh O'Malley | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1961–1965 | |
| Brian Lenihan | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Justice | 1961–1964 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands | 1961–1964 | ||
Changes 3 November 1964Appointment of Brian Lenihan to government.[6] | |||
| Name | Office | Term | |
| George Colley | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands | 1964–1965 | |
References
- "Nomination of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 October 1961". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- "Appointment of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 October 1961". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- "Nomination of Taoiseach – Votes – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 October 1961". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion of Approval – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 October 1961". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 February 2020.; "Nomination of Members of Government. - Motion of Approval (Resumed) – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 October 1961". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- "Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries: Announcement by Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Thursday, 16 November 1961". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- "Members of Government and Parliamentary Secretaries – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Tuesday, 3 November 1964". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- "Nomination of Member to be Member of Government – Dáil Éireann (17th Dáil) – Tuesday, 3 November 1964". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 August 2019.