The Dáil will recollect that this Committee was appointed by a resolution of the House moved by Deputy William Thrift and adopted on the 6th October, 1922, in the following terms:—
(a) That this House approves as a general principle, of the proposal that certain Ministers who shall not be members of the Executive Council, nominated by the Dáil, and individually responsible to the Dáil alone for the departments respectively under their charge, need not be members of the Dáil, and that the details of the provisions for appointing such Ministers and for regulating their position should be referred to a Committee of the House, to be nominated by the Ministry, for consideration and report to the House. That the consideration of their Report should come before the House later, whilst in Committee on the present Bill."