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Volume 9 1948~1951

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No. 124 NAI TSCH/3/S14387A

Memorandum for Government by the Department of External Affairs (Dublin)'Transfer of certain External Powers and Functions to the President'

Dublin, 9 September 1948

  1. The Minister for External Affairs has under consideration the question of how best to effect the transfer to the President of certain powers and functions in the domain of external relations which are at present exercisable by King George VI under the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936, (No. 58 of 1936).
  2. The Minister favours new legislation which would repeal the above-named Act in toto and confer upon the President somewhat wider powers and functions than those at present exercisable by the King. Such legislation would, in its positive aspects, conform to the provision of the Constitution (Article 13 (10)) which reads:

    'Subject to this Constitution, additional powers and functions may be conferred on the President by law'.

  3. In order to simplify consideration of this proposal the Minister submits herewith a rough draft of a Bill entitled: 'Powers and Functions of the President (External Relations) Bill, 1948'.1
  4. The Minister seeks the approval of the Government to introduce a measure on the general lines of the accompanying draft at the forthcoming session of the Oireachtas.

1 Not printed.

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