| 11th Dáil | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Dáil Éireann | ||||
| Jurisdiction | Ireland | ||||
| Meeting place | Leinster House | ||||
| Term | 1 July 1943 – 7 June 1944 | ||||
| Election | 1943 general election | ||||
| Government | 3rd government of Ireland | ||||
| Members | 138 | ||||
| Ceann Comhairle | Frank Fahy | ||||
| Taoiseach | Éamon de Valera | ||||
| Tánaiste | Seán T. O'Kelly | ||||
| Chief Whip | Eamon Kissane —Paddy Smith until 2 July 1943 | ||||
| Leader of the Opposition | Thomas F. O'Higgins —W. T. Cosgrave until January 1944 | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
| |||||
The11th Dáil was elected at the1943 general election on 23 June 1943 and met on 1 July 1943. The members ofDáil Éireann, thehouse of representatives of theOireachtas (legislature) ofIreland, are known asTDs. It sat with the4th Seanad as the two Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Dáiladjournedsine die on 10 May 1944, the day afterPresidentDouglas Hyde calleda general election for 30 May at the request of theTaoiseachÉamon de Valera. The 11th Dáil was dissolved on 7 June 1944.[1] Exceptionally, the outgoing Dáil was notdissolved until after the election. Althoughthe Constitution requires the President to dissolve the Dáil before a general election, this procedure was overridden by the General Elections (Emergency Provisions) Act 1943.[2][3] The act, which would have been unconstitutional if not forthe state of emergency in effect during theSecond World War, was intended to increase national security by minimising the interval during which no Dáil was in existence.[3] The 13th Dáil lasted 342 days.
There were no by-elections during this Dáil.
| Party | June 1943 | May 1944 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | 67 | 65 |  2 | |
| Fine Gael | 32 | 32 |  | |
| Labour | 17 | 12 | 5 | |
| Clann na Talmhan | 14 | 13 | 1 | |
| Monetary Reform | 1 | 1 | | |
| National Labour | — | 5 |  5 | |
| Independent | 7 | 8 | 1 | |
| Ceann Comhairle | — | 1 | 1 | |
| Vacant | — | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 138 | |||
This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 11th Dáil from July 1943. This was not the official seating plan.
On 1 July 1943,Frank Fahy (FF), who had served asCeann Comhairle since 1932, was proposed byÉamon de Valera and seconded bySeán T. O'Kelly for the position, and was elected without a vote.[4]
The list of the 138 TDs elected, is given in alphabetical order byDáil constituency.[5]
| Date | Constituency | Loss | Gain | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 1943 | Galway East | Fianna Fáil | Ceann Comhairle | Frank Fahy takes office as Ceann Comhairle[4] | ||
| 22 July 1943 | Tipperary | Fianna Fáil | Death ofMartin Ryan[6] | |||
| July 1943 | Donegal East | Clann na Talmhan | Independent | William Sheldon resigns from Clann na Talmhan | ||
| 7 January 1944 | Wicklow | Labour | National Labour Party | James Everett resigns from the Labour Party and joins the National Labour Party as its leader | ||
| 7 January 1944 | Cork South-East | Labour | National Labour Party | Thomas Looney resigns from the Labour Party and joins the National Labour Party | ||
| 7 January 1944 | Wexford | Labour | National Labour Party | John O'Leary resigns from the Labour Party and joins the National Labour Party | ||
| 7 January 1944 | Kilkenny | Labour | National Labour Party | James Pattison resigns from the Labour Party and joins the National Labour Party | ||
| 7 January 1944 | Kerry North | Labour | National Labour Party | Dan Spring resigns from the Labour Party and joins the National Labour Party | ||
I did not ask for a dissolution of the Dáil. This Dáil would not have been meeting to-day if there had been a dissolution. ... I did not ask for a dissolution, because we passed an Act last year to enable the Dáil, during this critical period, to be brought together at any time that there was need for doing so, so that the Executive at any time would have to assemble the Dáil in case there was any national issue that demanded its assembly. ... when the Dáil adjourns now it will not meet again unless there is some national issue which makes it necessary to call the Dáil together.