# Government of the 10th Dáil

The 2nd government of Ireland (30 June 1938 – 1 July 1943) was the government of Ireland formed after the 1938 general election to the 10th Dáil held on 17 June. It was a single-party Fianna Fáil government led by Éamon de Valera as Taoiseach. Fianna Fáil had been in office since the 1932 general election. It lasted for 5 years, 1 day.

## Nomination of Taoiseach

The 10th Dáil first met on 30 June 1938. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera was proposed. The motion was approved by 75 to 45. De Valera was appointed as Taoiseach by President Douglas Hyde. This occurred five days after the inauguration of Hyde as the first President of Ireland on 25 June.
30 June 1938 Nomination of Éamon de Valera (FF) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Gerald Bartley and seconded by Bernard Maguire Absolute majority: 70/138 :
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Y Yes | Fianna Fáil (74), Independent (1) | 75 / 138 |
| No | Fine Gael (44), Independent (1) | 45 / 138 |
| Absent or Not voting | Labour Party (9), Fianna Fáil (2), Fine Gael (1), Independents (5), Ceann Comhairle (1) | 19 / 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 to office by the president.
| Office | Name | Name | Term |
| Taoiseach | | Éamon de Valera | 1938–1943 |
| Minister for External Affairs | | Éamon de Valera | 1938–1943 |
| Tánaiste | | Seán T. O'Kelly | 1938–1943 |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health | | Seán T. O'Kelly | 1938–1939 |
| Minister for Justice | | P. J. Ruttledge | 1938–1939 |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | | Seán Lemass | 1938–1939 |
| Minister for Finance | | Seán MacEntee | 1938–1939 |
| Minister for Agriculture | | James Ryan | 1938–1943 |
| Minister for Defence | | Frank Aiken | 1938–1939 |
| Minister for Education | | Thomas Derrig | 1938–1939 |
| Minister for Lands | | Gerald Boland | 1938–1939 |
| Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | | Oscar Traynor | 1938–1939 |
| Changes 8 September 1939 Re-organisation on declaration of The Emergency. ||||
| Office | Name | Name | Term |
| Minister for Education | | Seán T. O'Kelly | (acting) |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health | | P. J. Ruttledge | 1939–1941 |
| Minister for Supplies | | Seán Lemass | 1939–1943 |
| Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures | | Frank Aiken | 1939–1943 |
| Minister for Lands | | Thomas Derrig | 1939–1943 |
| Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | | Thomas Derrig | (acting) |
| Minister for Justice | | Gerald Boland | 1939–1943 |
| Minister for Defence | | Oscar Traynor | 1939–1943 |
| Changes 16 September 1939 ||||
| Office | Name | Name | Term |
| Minister for Finance | | Seán T. O'Kelly | 1939–1943 |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | | Seán MacEntee | 1939–1941 |
| Changes 27 September 1939 Appointment of new member of government. ||||
| Office | Name | Name | Term |
| Minister for Education | | Éamon de Valera | (acting) |
| Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | | Patrick Little | 1939–1943 |
| Changes 18 June 1940 ||||
| Office | Name | Name | Term |
| Minister for Education | | Thomas Derrig | 1940–1943 |
| Changes 15 August 1941 ||||
| Office | Name | Name | Term |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health | | Éamon de Valera | (acting) |
| Changes 18 August 1941 ||||
| Office | Name | Name | Term |
| Minister for Industry and Commerce | | Seán Lemass | 1941–1943 |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health | | Seán MacEntee | 1941–1943 |

## Parliamentary secretaries

On 30 June 1938, the Government appointed Parliamentary secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach.
| Name | Name | Office | Term |
| | Patrick Little | Government Chief Whip | 1938–1939 |
| | Patrick Little | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for External Affairs | 1938–1939 |
| | Hugo Flinn | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance | 1938–Jan 1943 |
| | Conn Ward | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health | 1938–1943 |
| | Seán O'Grady | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence | 1938–1939 |
| | Seán Moylan | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce | 1938–Feb 1943 |
| Changes 27 September 1939 Changes following the appointment of Patrick Little as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. ||||
| Name | Name | Office | Term |
| | Paddy Smith | Government Chief Whip | 1939–1943 |
| | Paddy Smith | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for External Affairs | 1939–1943 |
| | Seán Moylan | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence | 1939–1943 |
| Changes 12 September 1941 ||||
| Name | Name | Office | Term |
| | Seán O'Grady | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Lands | 1941–Feb 1943 |
| | Hugo Flinn | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health | 1941–Jan 1943 |
| Changes 9 February 1943 Changes following the death of Hugo Flinn. ||||
| Name | Name | Office | Term |
| | Seán Moylan | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance | Feb–Jun 1943 |
| | Seán O'Grady | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce | Feb–Jun 1943 |
| | Eamon Kissane | Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Lands | Feb–Jun 1943 |

## Constitutional amendments

During the first three years of the term of office of the first President of Ireland, the Oireachtas could pass amendments to the Constitution of Ireland without a referendum. This period lasted from 25 June 1938 to 24 June 1941. The First Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland was introduced and signed into law on 2 September 1939, allowing the Oireachtas to resolve that a state of emergency exists when an armed conflict exists outside of the state. The Emergency was declared on the same day, and the emergency powers lapsed on 2 September 1946. The Second Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland was signed into law on 30 May 1941 and was an omnibus amendment with 40 separate changes across the text of the Constitution. Both amendments were proposed by the Taoiseach.