Letter from Seán Moynihan to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)

A Chara,

The President has had under consideration the procedure in regard to advice to the King in matters affecting the Irish Free State. He feels that the time has now come when the matter should be placed on a regular basis, and that the principle that advice to the King is a function of the Executive Council as a whole should be strictly adhered to in practice.

He directs, therefore,

1. that the advice to the King should in future be only issued on a specific authorisation by the Executive Council, the authorisation being duly placed on record;
2. that the letter or other document of advice should recite the fact that the advice is given by the Executive Council, and
3. that any instrument signed or initialled by the King should state expressly that it is so signed or initialled on the advice of the Executive Council.