Under the Constitution the order new elections Dáil Éireann". But this leaves four to six weeks, before the new Dáil assembles, and there were fears that German might invade. The General Elections (Emergency Powers) Act 1943 Archived 2005-12-05 at the Wayback Machine - which allowed an election to be called separate from a dissolution, with the Dáil only being dissolved just before new Dáil would assemble, so ensuring the gap between Dála (plural of Dáil) would be too short to facilitate an invasion. Under the Act the President could "refuse to proclaim a general election on the advice of a Taoiseach who had ceased to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann". Hyde had that option, but after considering it with his senior advisor, Michael McDunphy, he opted to grant de Valera his election request.
Under the Constitution the order new elections Dáil Éireann". But this leaves four to six weeks, before the new Dáil assembles, and there were fears that German might invade. The General Elections (Emergency Powers) Act 1943 Archived 2005-12-05 at the Wayback Machine - which allowed an election to be called separate from a dissolution, with the Dáil only being dissolved just before new Dáil would assemble, so ensuring the gap between Dála (plural of Dáil) would be too short to facilitate an invasion. Under the Act the President could "refuse to proclaim a general election on the advice of a Taoiseach who had ceased to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann". Hyde had that option, but after considering it with his senior advisor, Michael McDunphy, he opted to grant de Valera his election request.
