# Government of the 12th Dáil

The 4th Government of Ireland (9 June 1944 – 18 February 1948) was the government of Ireland formed after the 1944 general election to the 12th Dáil held on 30 May. It was a single-party Fianna Fáil government led by Éamon de Valera as Taoiseach. It lasted for 3 years, 254 days. Fianna Fáil had been in office since the 1932 general election.

## Nomination of Taoiseach

The 12th Dáil first met on 9 June 1944. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera was proposed. This motion was approved by 81 to 37. De Valera was appointed as Taoiseach by President Douglas Hyde.
9 June 1944 Nomination of Éamon de Valera (FF) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Michael Kennedy and seconded by Timothy O'Sullivan Absolute majority: 70/138 :
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Y Yes | Fianna Fáil (75), National Labour Party (3), Independents (3) | 81 / 138 |
| No | Fine Gael (29), Labour Party (7), Independent (1) | 37 / 138 |
| Absent of Not voting | Clann na Talmhan (9), Independents (7), Fine Gael (1), Labour Party (1), National Labour Party (1), Ceann Comhairle (1) | 20 / 138 |

## Members of the government

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Éamon de Valera proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil. They were appointed by the president on the same day.
| Office | Name | Name |
| Taoiseach | | Éamon de Valera |
| Minister for External Affairs | | Éamon de Valera |
| Tánaiste | | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Minister for Finance | | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | | Seán Lemass |
| Minister for Supplies | | Seán Lemass |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health | | Seán MacEntee |
| Minister for Agriculture | | James Ryan |
| Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures | | Frank Aiken |
| Minister for Education | | Thomas Derrig |
| Minister for Justice | | Gerald Boland |
| Minister for Defence | | Oscar Traynor |
| Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | | Patrick Little |
| Minister for Lands | | Seán Moylan |
| Changes 19 June 1945 On the election of Seán T. O'Kelly as president of Ireland. |||
| Office | Name | Name |
| Tánaiste | | Seán Lemass |
| Minister for Finance | | Frank Aiken |
| Changes 22 January 1947 On the creation of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare. |||
| Office | Name | Name |
| Minister for Local Government | | Seán MacEntee |
| Minister for Health | | James Ryan |
| Minister for Social Welfare | | James Ryan |
| Minister for Agriculture | | Paddy Smith |

### Note

* ↑ The functions of the Minister for Supplies were transferred to the Minister for Industry and Commerce on 1 August 1945.
* ↑ The Department of Local Government and Public Health was renamed as the Department of Local Government on 22 January 1947.

## Parliamentary Secretaries

On 9 June, the Government appointed Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.
| Name | Name | Office | Term |
| | Eamon Kissane | Government Chief Whip | 1944–1948 |
| | Eamon Kissane | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence | 1944–1948 |
| | Paddy Smith | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1944–1946 |
| | Conn Ward | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health | 1944–1946 |
| | Seán O'Grady | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce | 1944–1946 |
| | Erskine H. Childers | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health | 1944–1948 |
| Change 13 July 1946 Resignation of Conn Ward following the report of the Ward Tribunal. ||||
| Changes 1 January 1947 ||||
| | Paddy Smith | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture | Jan. 1947 |
| | Seán O'Grady | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1947–1948 |