I wish to inform the Dáil that, having informed the President that Dáil Éireann had approved my nomination of Deputy Oliver J. Flanagan to be a member of the Government, the President on the 16th December appointed him accordingly. On the 16th December, 1976, I terminated the assignment of the Department of Defence to myself and assigned that Department to Deputy Flanagan. On the 17th December, 1976, the Government appointed Deputy Patrick J. Reynolds to be Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and to the Minister for the Public Service.
