I do not quite understand the point that is being made by Deputy de Roiste. I take it, the main objection to taking the whole of this Clause out was that you took from the President the power to nominate the Ministers. Deputy de Roiste raises another point. He objects to that. I have not heard that objection before. I understood the objection was that the Committee elected by the Dáil itself was to nominate extern Ministers. But this is the first time I have heard there was any objection to the President nominating the members of the Executive Council. I think it would be a mistake to interfere with that right of the President, because, after all, he will have to submit the number of Ministers who are to act with him in a responsible capacity. He is in a position almost to guarantee that they will be a team which will put up certain definite propositions to the Chamber, and will stand or fall by the result. The general Executive Authority of the country will be centred in 5, 6, or 7, according as you decide the number of the Executive Council. This is the first time I have heard any objection to the President nominating any members of the Executive Council. I do not see any point in it, and I would have no objection to accepting an amendment there to Article 52:—
"The other Ministers who are members of the Executive Council shall be appointed on the nomination of the President, and he and the Ministers nominated by him shall retire from office should he cease to retain the support of a majority in the Chamber/ Dáil, but the President and such Ministers shall continue to carry on their duties until their successors shall have been appointed. Provided, however, that the Parliament/Oireachtas shall not be dissolved on the advice of an Executive Council which has ceased to retain the support of a majority in the Chamber/Dáil."
If the point be that there is an objection to the President nominating them without submitting their names to the chamber, I agree that some explanatory clause should be put in which would make it mandatory on the President to nominate Ministers to the Dáil and get them approved by the Dáil, because I would not agree that the President should of his own accord select the members, without their being sanctioned by the Dáil. If that be the only point it can be made later or you can put in a couple of words on the nomination of the President of the Dáil.