Government of the 9th Dáil

The members of the 9th Dáil first met on 21 July 1937. In the debate on the election of the President of the Executive Council, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing President Éamon de Valera was proposed, and the motion was approved by 82 votes to 52.[1]

The election took place under Article 53 of the Constitution of the Irish Free State, as amended by the Constitution (Amendment No. 27) Act 1936, which had removed the constitutional role of the Governor-General. It was the only time from December 1922 that the head of government was directly elected by the Dáil only; from December 1922 to December 1936, the nomination of the president of the Executive Council was approved by Dáil for appointment by the Governor-General, and since December 1937, the nomination of the Taoiseach has similarly been approved by the Dáil for appointment by the president of Ireland.

21 July 1937 Election of Éamon de Valera (FF) as President of the Executive Council[2] Motion proposed by Richard Walsh and seconded by Tom McEllistrim Absolute majority: 70/138
Vote	Parties	Votes
Y Yes	Fianna Fáil (67), Labour Party (13), Independents (2)	82 / 138
No	Fine Gael (48), Independents (4)	52 / 138
Absent or Not voting	Independents (2), Fianna Fáil (1), Ceann Comhairle (1)	4 / 138

The members of the Executive Council were proposed by the President after his election and approved by the Dáil for their appointment by him.[3]

On 21 July, the Executive Council appointed Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the President.[4]

The government signed the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom on 25 April 1938, which brought the Anglo-Irish trade war to a close and transferred the Treaty Ports to Ireland. These were the ports of Berehaven, Cóbh and Lough Swilly which had stayed under the control of the United Kingdom after the establishment of the Irish Free State.[5]