Vice-President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The Vice-President of the Executive Council was the deputy prime minister of the 1922–37 Irish Free State, and the second most senior member of the Executive Council. Formally the Vice-President was appointed by the Governor-General on the nomination of the President of the Executive Council, but by convention the Governor-General could not refuse to appoint a Vice-President who the President had selected.
Under Article 53 of the Free State constitution the role of the Vice President was to "act for all purposes in the place of the President", until the appointment of a successor in the event of his death, resignation or "permanent incapacity", or until his return in the event of his "temporary absence". However, in practice the Vice President also held a second ministerial portfolio the duties of which he carried out when not called upon to become acting head of government. The Vice President could not be dismissed by the President. Rather, as was the case with all other cabinet ministers, for him to be removed from office the entire cabinet had to be dismissed and reformed en bloc. The office of Vice President of the Executive Council was established with the establishment of the Free State in 1922.
While the Ministry of Dáil Éireann did not initially have a provision for a deputy president, when President of Dáil Éireann Éamon de Valera travelled to the United States in June 1919, he requested by letter that Arthur Griffith be appointed as Deputy President in his absence. De Valera resumed his position in the Dáil on 25 January 1921. The Provisional Government of the Irish Free State, did not have such a position. In 1937, when the new Constitution of Ireland came into force, the office of Vice-President of the Executive Council was replaced with that of Tánaiste.
