Government of the 31st Dáil
The Government of the 31st Dáil is the previous Government of Ireland, formed after the 2011 general election to Dáil Éireann on 25 February 2011. Fine Gael entered into discussions with the Labour Party which culminated in a joint programme for government. The 31st Dáil first met on 9 March 2011 when it nominated Seán Barrett to be the Ceann Comhairle. Following this, the house nominated Enda Kenny, the leader of Fine Gael, to be the 13th Taoiseach. Kenny then went to the Áras an Uachtaráin where President Mary McAleese appointed him as Taoiseach. On the nomination of the Taoiseach, and following the Dáil's approval the 29th Government of Ireland was appointed by the President.[1][2][3]
| Government of the 31st Dáil | |
|---|---|
| 29th Government of Ireland | |
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| Date formed | 9 March 2011 |
| Date dissolved | 10 March 2016 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Mary McAleese (2011) Michael D. Higgins (2011–16) |
| Head of government | Enda Kenny |
| Deputy head of government | Eamon Gilmore (2011–14) Joan Burton (2014–16) |
| No. of ministers | 15 |
| Member parties | Fine Gael Labour Party |
| Status in legislature | Majority Coalition |
| Opposition cabinet | First Martin front bench |
| Opposition party | Fianna Fáil |
| Opposition leader | Micheál Martin |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2011 general election |
| Legislature term(s) | 31st Dáil |
| Budget(s) | 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| Outgoing formation | 2016 government formation |
| Predecessor | 28th Government |
| Successor | 30th Government |
Contents
29th Government of IrelandEdit
The 29th Government of Ireland (9 March 2011 – 10 March 2016) was composed of Fine Gael and the Labour Party.[4]
Nomination of Taoiseach voteEdit
Nomination of Taoiseach vote for Enda Kenny (FG) Motion proposed by Simon Harris and seconded by Ciara Conway Absolute majority: 84/166 | ||
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
 Yes |
Fine Gael (76), Labour Party (37), Independent (5) | 117 / 166
|
| No | Sinn Féin (14), Independent (8), People Before Profit Alliance (2), Socialist Party (2), Workers and Unemployed Action Group (1) |
27 / 166
|
| Abstentions | Fianna Fáil (20), Ceann Comhairle (1), Independent (1) | 22 / 166
|
| Source: Oireachtas Debates | ||
CompositionEdit
Ministers are listed by seniority.[5]
Changes May 2014Edit
There was a minor reshuffle after the resignation of Alan Shatter.[6]
| Office | Name | Term | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Justice and Equality | Frances Fitzgerald | 2014–16 | Fine Gael | ||
| Minister for Defence | Enda Kenny (acting) | 2014 | |||
| Minister for Children and Youth Affairs | Charles Flanagan | 2014 | |||
Changes July 2014Edit
Following the election of Joan Burton as Leader of the Labour Party, a cabinet reshuffle took place on 11 July 2014.[7]
The following attended cabinet meetings, but did not have a vote:
| Office | Name | Term | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney General | Máire Whelan | 2011–16 | Labour Party | ||
| Government Chief Whip | Paul Kehoe | 2011–16 | Fine Gael | ||
| Minister of State for Housing and Planning | Jan O'Sullivan | 2011–14 | Labour Party | ||
| Minister of State for Business and Employment | Ged Nash[8] | 2014–16 | Labour Party | ||
Economic Management CouncilEdit
The Economic Management Council was a cabinet subcommittee of senior ministers formed to co-ordinate the response to the Irish financial crisis and the government's dealings with the troika (European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund).[9] Its members were the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.[10] It was supported by the Department of the Taoiseach, led by Dermot McCarthy.[9][11] Brigid Laffan compared it to a war cabinet.[12] Opposition parties suggested the Council represented a dangerous concentration of power.[13]
Following the formation of a government in 2016, Shane Ross, a member of the Government of the 32nd Dáil, confirmed in an address to the Dáil that the subcommittee would not form part of the new government. Ross told the Dáil on 6 May 2016: "I had a conversation last night with the Taoiseach. I was talking to him about Dáil reform and I asked him about an issue - a last point I had forgotten to ask about earlier - which was the abolition of the Economic Management Council. I thought it was going to be like one of these thorny topics which we had been through over the last few weeks. He told me okay, it is gone, that it had been needed for a particular time and it is not needed any more and I was to consider it gone. To me that was very encouraging because it meant that one of those obstacles to Dáil reform, one of those rather secretive bodies that had dictated to the Cabinet and to the Dáil the agenda of what came out to the country, was now a thing of the past."[14]
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Under Article 13.1.1 of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, the Dáil nominates a person whom it instructs the President to appoint as Taoiseach. The Taoiseach, following his appointment, then nominates his ministerial team en bloc to the Dáil for approval, in accordance with Article 13.1.2. If the Dáil duly approves the list, the President proceeds to appoint them. Though it is often said that the Taoiseach and government are elected by the Dáil that is technically incorrect. They only become ministers when the President appoints them and they receive their seal of office, not by means of the parliamentary vote, although the President's appointment is automatic when they have been duly approved.
- ^ "Enda Kenny reveals new Cabinet". RTÉ News. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
- ^ "Taoiseach names new Cabinet". Irish Government News Service. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
- ^ "Assignment of Departments of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 15 March 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ "Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government | Wednesday, 9 March 2011". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "Nomination of Member of Government: Motion | Thursday, 8 May 2014". Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion | Friday, 11 July 2014". Oireachtas. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ Nash is described as a "Super junior" minister, because unlike other Ministers of State, he attends cabinet meetings.
- ^ a b State's most senior civil servant to step down
- ^ "Economic Management Council". Department of the Taoiseach. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Cabinet Committee Meetings". Dáil debates. Oireachtas. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ Laffan, Brigid (28 August 2013). "Economic Management Council acts as a 'war cabinet' in Ireland's fight for survival". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Martin queries constitutionality of Economic Management Council". RTÉ News. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Dáil Debates: Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government: Motion (Continued)". oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.