I beg leave to state, for the information of the Dáil, that the Minister for Education, Deputy Dick Burke, has tendered his resignation as a member of the Government upon his forthcoming appointment as a member of the Commission of European Communities. The Presidential Commission, on my advice, have accepted Deputy Burke's resignation with effect from today. I should like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation of his valuable services as Minister for Education and to offer him our best wishes in his new assignment.
I have today terminated the assignment to Deputy Peter Barry of the Department of Transport and Power, the assignment to Deputy Tom Fitzpatrick of the Department of Lands and the assignment to Deputy Patrick S. Donegan of the Department of Defence and I have assigned Departments to members of the Government as follows:
Department of Education to Deputy Peter Barry,
Department of Transport and Power to Deputy Tom Fitzpatrick,
Department of Lands to Deputy Patrick S. Donegan, and
Department of Defence to myself.