# Government of the 31st Dáil

The 29th government of Ireland (9 March 2011 – 6 May 2016) was the government of Ireland which was formed following the 2011 general election to the 31st Dáil on 25 February 2011. It was a coalition government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party led by Enda Kenny as Taoiseach. From 2011 to 2014, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore served as Tánaiste, and from 2014 to 2016, the new Labour leader Joan Burton served as Tánaiste.
It lasted 5 years, 1 day from its appointment until its resignation, and continued to carry out its duties for a further 57 days until the appointment of the successor government, giving a total of 5 years, 58 days in office.

## Nomination of Taoiseach

The 31st Dáil first met on 9 March 2011. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, only Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was proposed. This proposal was carried with 117 votes in favour and 27 votes against, the greatest number of votes cast in the Dáil in favour of the nomination of a candidate for Taoiseach. Kenny was appointed as Taoiseach by president Mary McAleese.
9 March 2011 Nomination of Enda Kenny (FG) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Simon Harris and seconded by Ciara Conway Absolute majority: 84/166 :
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Y Yes | Fine Gael (76), Labour Party (37), Independent (5) | 117 / 166 |
| No | Sinn Féin (14), Independent (8), People Before Profit (2), Socialist Party (2), Workers and Unemployed Action (1) | 27 / 166 |
| Not voting | Fianna Fáil (20), Ceann Comhairle (1), Independent (1) | 22 / 166 |

## Government ministers

After his appointment by the president, Enda Kenny proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil.
| Office | Name | Term | Party |
| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny | 2011–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Tánaiste | Eamon Gilmore | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | Eamon Gilmore | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Minister for Finance | Michael Noonan | 2011–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Education and Skills | Ruairi Quinn | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform | Brendan Howlin | 2011–2016 | Labour |
| Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Richard Bruton | 2011–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Social Protection | Joan Burton | 2011–2016 | Labour |
| Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | Jimmy Deenihan | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | Pat Rabbitte | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government | Phil Hogan | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Justice and Equality | Alan Shatter | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Defence | Alan Shatter | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Simon Coveney | 2011–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Children and Youth Affairs | Frances Fitzgerald | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Health | James Reilly | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport | Leo Varadkar | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Changes 8 May 2014 Following the resignation of Alan Shatter on 7 May. |||||
| Minister for Justice and Equality | Frances Fitzgerald | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Defence | Enda Kenny (acting) | 2014 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Children and Youth Affairs | Charles Flanagan | 2014 | Fine Gael |
| Changes 11 July 2014 Following the election of Joan Burton as leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore, Pat Rabbitte and Ruairi Quinn resigned from cabinet. Phil Hogan resigned on his nomination as European Commissioner. |||||
| Tánaiste | Joan Burton | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Minister for Defence | Simon Coveney | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Children and Youth Affairs | James Reilly | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Health | Leo Varadkar | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade | Charles Flanagan | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | Alex White | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Minister for Education and Skills | Jan O'Sullivan | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government | Alan Kelly | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport | Paschal Donohoe | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | Heather Humphreys | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |

### Changes to departments

* ↑ The Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 2 June 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established on 6 July 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation was renamed the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 2 June 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport was renamed the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on 2 June 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government was renamed the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on 2 May 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Justice and Law Reform was renamed the Department of Justice and Equality on 2 April 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was renamed the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on 17 October 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs was renamed the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on 2 June 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Health and Children was renamed the Department of Health on 4 June 2011.
* ↑ The Department of Transport was renamed the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on 2 April 2011.

## Attorney General

On 9 March 2011, Máire Whelan SC was appointed as Attorney General by the president on the nomination of the Taoiseach.

## Ministers of state

On 9 March 2011, Paul Kehoe and Willie Penrose were appointed by the government on the nomination of the Taoiseach as ministers of state who would attend cabinet without a vote. On 10 March 2011, the government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed 13 further ministers of state.
| Name | Department(s) | Responsibility | Term | Party |
| Paul Kehoe (In attendance at cabinet) | Taoiseach Defence | Government Chief Whip Defence | 2011–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Willie Penrose (In attendance at cabinet) | Environment, Community and Local Government | Housing and Planning | 2011 | Labour |
| Dinny McGinley | Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | Gaeltacht Affairs | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Róisín Shortall | Health | Primary care | 2011–2012 | Labour |
| John Perry | Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Small Business | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Michael Ring | Transport, Tourism and Sport | Tourism and Sport | 2011–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Jan O'Sullivan | Foreign Affairs and Trade | Trade and Development | 2011 | Labour |
| Kathleen Lynch | Justice and Equality Health | Disability, Equality and Mental Health | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Fergus O'Dowd | Environment, Community and Local Government Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | NewERA Project | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Brian Hayes | Public Expenditure and Reform Finance | Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Shane McEntee | Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Food, Horticulture and Food Safety | 2011–2012 | Fine Gael |
| Lucinda Creighton | Taoiseach Foreign Affairs and Trade | European Affairs | 2011–2013 | Fine Gael |
| Seán Sherlock | Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Education and Skills | Research and Innovation | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Ciarán Cannon | Education and Skills | Training and Skills | 2011–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Alan Kelly | Transport, Tourism and Sport | Public and Commuter Transport | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Changes on 20 December 2011 Following the resignation of Willie Penrose on 15 November 2011. ||||||
| Jan O'Sullivan (In attendance at cabinet) | Environment, Community and Local Government | Housing and Planning | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Joe Costello | Foreign Affairs and Trade | Trade and Development | 2011–2014 | Labour |
| Change on 2 October 2012 Following the resignation of Róisín Shortall on 26 September 2012. ||||||
| Alex White | Health | Primary care | 2012–2014 | Labour |
| Change on 5 June 2013 Following the death of Shane McEntee on 21 December 2012. ||||||
| Tom Hayes | Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Forestry, Horticulture, the Greyhound Industry and Food Safety | 2013–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Change on 12 July 2013 Following the resignation of Lucinda Creighton on 11 July 2013. ||||||
| Paschal Donohoe | Taoiseach Foreign Affairs and Trade | European Affairs | 2013–2014 | Fine Gael |
| Changes on 11 July 2014 Following the appointment of Jan O'Sullivan to cabinet and the demotion of Jimmy Deenihan from cabinet. ||||||
| Ged Nash (In attendance at cabinet) | Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Business and Employment | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Jimmy Deenihan | Taoiseach Foreign Affairs and Trade | Diaspora | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Changes on 15 July 2014 Brian Hayes was elected as an MEP on 23 May. Dinny McGinley, John Perry, Fergus O'Dowd, Ciarán Cannon and Joe Costello resigned on the request of the party leaders to facilitate a wider reshuffle. ||||||
| Kathleen Lynch | Health | Primary Care, Mental Health and Disability | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Seán Sherlock | Foreign Affairs and Trade | Overseas Development Assistance, Trade Promotion and North/South Cooperation | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Damien English | Education and Skills Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Skills, Research and Innovation | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Joe McHugh | Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Paudie Coffey | Environment, Community and Local Government | Housing, Planning and Construction 2020 Strategy | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Simon Harris | Finance Public Expenditure and Reform Taoiseach | Office of Public Works, Public Procurement and International Banking | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Kevin Humphreys | Social Protection | Employment, Community and Social Support | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Dara Murphy | Taoiseach Foreign Affairs and Trade Justice and Equality | European Affairs and Data Protection | 2014–2016 | Fine Gael |
| Aodhán Ó Ríordáin | Justice and Equality Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | New communities, culture and equality | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Ann Phelan | Agriculture, Food and the Marine Transport, Tourism and Sport | Rural economic development and rural transport | 2014–2016 | Labour |
| Change on 22 April 2015 Additional responsibilities. ||||||
| Aodhán Ó Ríordáin | Health | Drugs strategy | 2015–2016 | Labour |

## Economic Management Council

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 of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Its members were the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It was supported by the Department of the Taoiseach, led by Dermot McCarthy. Brigid Laffan compared it to a war cabinet. Opposition parties suggested the Council represented a dangerous concentration of power.
Following the formation of a government in 2016, Shane Ross, an incoming member of the new 30th Government of Ireland, confirmed in 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."

## Budgets

The Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, delivered the following budgets:
* 2012 budget, on 5 and 6 December 2011
* 2013 budget, on 5 December 2012
* 2014 budget, on 15 October 2013
* 2015 budget, on 14 October 2014
* 2016 budget, on 13 October 2015

## Motions of confidence

On 18 September 2012, Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kelleher proposed a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Health, James Reilly. The debate was noted for the contribution on the second day of debate of Róisín Shortall, a Minister of State at the Department of Health, who voted with the government, but did not mention the minister. Following amendment, this was debated a motion commending the work of the minister, and was approved by a vote of 99 to 50. Those voting against the government included Tommy Broughan and Patrick Nulty, who had been elected as Labour Party TDs, and Denis Naughten, who had been elected as a Fine Gael TD and had left in protest at closure of services at the Roscommon University Hospital. Shortall resigned as a junior minister and from the Labour Parliamentary Party the following week.
On 11 December 2012, Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty proposed a motion of no confidence in the government, stating that it had "failed to fulfil its obligations to make political decisions and choices which benefit the citizens of this State". Brendan Howlin, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, proposed an amendment such that the motion read, "That Dáil Éireann has confidence in the Government as it deals with the current economic crisis in as fair a manner as possible, while prioritising economic recovery and job creation". Debate continued the following day. The amended motion was carried by a vote of 88 to 51. Those voting against the government included Róisín Shortall.
On 1 April 2014, Fiann Fáil TD Niall Collins proposed a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter. Following amendment, this was debated a motion commending the work of the minister. Debate continued on 2 April, and the amended motion was carried by a vote of 95 to 51. This was just over a month before Shatter resigned on the submission of the Guerin Report to the Taoiseach.
On 9 December 2014, the Dáil debated a motion of confidence in the Taoiseach and in the government. This motion was proposed by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in response to a motion of no confidence proposed by Sinn Féin, which referred to "the widespread public opposition to domestic water charges and to Irish Water". The vote of confidence was carried by a vote of 86 to 55. Those voting against included Lucinda Creighton, Peter Mathews and Billy Timmins, who had been elected as Fine Gael TDs.

## Dissolution and resignation

On 3 February 2016, Taoiseach Enda Kenny sought a dissolution of the Dáil which was granted by the president, with the new Dáil to convene on 10 March. The general election took place on 26 February.
The 32nd Dáil first met on 10 March 2016. Enda Kenny, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, and Richard Boyd Barrett of the Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit were each proposed for nomination as Taoiseach. None of the four motions were successful. Kenny announced that he would resign as Taoiseach but that under the provisions of Article 28.11 of the Constitution, the government would continue to carry out their duties until their successors were appointed. Kenny continued in this capacity until 6 May 2016, when he was again nominated for the appointment by the president to the position of Taoiseach and formed the 30th Government of Ireland.