Thomond Park’s Twelve Points
Lynch remained Taoiseach throughout 1978, leading the Fifteenth Government and working with George Colley as Tánaiste and Minister for Finance. Fianna Fáil had entered office after its emphatic 1977 election victory, with enough Dáil seats to govern alone. That strength allowed it to act on conspicuous election commitments, but it also made its judgement highly visible. From 1 January, the old office of parliamentary secretary was replaced by that of minister of state, a small but meaningful reorganisation of the machinery of government.