Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1977

Appointment of Ministers of State.

1.—(1) The Government may, on the nomination of the Taoiseach, appoint not more than 10 persons, who are members of either House of the Oireachtas, to be Ministers of State at Departments of State and may at any time, on the recommendation of the Taoiseach, remove a Minister of State so appointed.

(2) A person appointed to be a Minister of State shall continue to hold office so long only as he continues to be a member of a House of the Oireachtas, but a Minister of State in office at the date of a dissolution of Dáil Éireann shall continue to hold office until the successor of the Taoiseach who was in office on such date shall have been appointed.

(3) If the Taoiseach at any time resigns from office, a Minister of State shall be deemed also to have resigned from office, but shall continue to carry on his duties until the successor of the Taoiseach shall have been appointed.

(4) A Minister of State appointed under this section shall by his appointment be assigned to act as Minister of State at a Department of State.