With reference to my letter of the 1st February¹ concerning the placing of the Officers of this Department on a proper establishment basis and with particular reference to the concluding paragraphs pointing out the urgent need for an Assistant Secretary, I am directed by the Minister for External Affairs to inform you that he wishes to appoint as Assistant Secretary, Mr. Seán Murphy, who has been acting in that capacity for four years since returning from his post as Representative of the Saorstát in Paris, and he accordingly requests that the appointment be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance. At present there is nobody with definitely recognised authority to act in the absence of the Secretary and Mr. Murphy's position vis-à-vis the Department, the Foreign Representatives in Dublin and our Representatives abroad is exceedingly difficult and is without parallel in any other Foreign Affairs Department. This situation gives a definitely unfavourable impression of the importance attached by the Saorstát to its external relations. The appointment has become still more urgent since this Department has taken over sole control of all communications with Great Britain. Between the 1st September 1926 and the 1st of October 1927 the Secretary will have been nearly four months away from the Office on official business.

You have received several letters on Mr. Murphy's qualifications for his post within the last three years and there is no need to repeat them here.

The Minister will be glad to have a reply at once.