TK Whitaker, Gerard Sweetman and Sean Lemass some of the makers of modern Ireland

On tomorrow night RTE is running a programme titled Lemass: The Man who Made Modern Ireland.

The title of the programme is misleading.
In 1950 Fine Gael Minister for Industry and Commerce Dan Morrissey established the IDA -The Industrial Development Authority. Sean Lemass in opposition pledged to abolish the IDA if returned to power. FF on return to power in 1951 did not abolish the IDA. The IDA has played a major role in the development of Irish industry.
FF remained in power from 1951- 1954.

In 1954 Fine Gael, Labour, and Clann na Talmhan took office. FG TD Gerard Sweetman was appointed Minister for Finance.
That government inherited an economic mess. Unemployment stood at 421,000 whilst over 100,000 people had left agriculture during the previous 8 years. Sweetman strongly opposed the protectionist policies of FF and took very hard decisions. Sweetman believed that Ireland could grow its economy on the basis off booming exports. In his budget in 1955, he introduced a radical -for the time-scheme whereby a tax exemption was provided for exported goods. He also established the prize bonds scheme as a means of covering the national debt. In 1956 he plucked civil servant TK Whitaker from relative obscurity in the Civil Service and appointed him Secretary General of the Department of Finance. This raised quite a few eyebrows but the decision was a mark of Sweetman's greatness.

The incoming FF government benefited from Sweetman's decisions and indeed the work of Dan Morrissey in establishing the IDA in 1950.
TK Whitaker was the brainchild behind the First Programme for Economic Expansion, which played a major role in Irelands economic development in the 1960s. It is to the credit of Sean Lemass and a mark of his greatness that he accepted Whitaker's proposals and supported free trade policies espoused by Gerard Sweetman and T K Whitaker. In fact Lemass was now advocating policies diametrically opposed to those pursued by FF in power since the 1930. Certainly Sean Lemass was one of the makers of modern Ireland. But so also were Gerard Sweetman and T K Whitaker amongst others. It is important to realise that without the work of Sweetman and Whitaker, Lemass would have achieved little.

Fianna Fail And The Cult Of The Leader: The Deification Of Brian Cowen Has Begun

Since the foundation of FF in 1926 much of its success has been based on the cult of the leader.
On the election of the new leader the FF spin machine swings into action propagating truths, half-truths and myths if necessary to build up the profile of the new chief. It is a form of deification.
Hand and hand with this goes the demonization of political opponents.

Eamonn De Valera founded the party in 1926. Certainly he was successful in maintaining FFs grip on power. However he singularly failed to reach out to Northern Unionists. Through his constitution he effectively widened the divide between North and South. He took the anti treaty side in the civil war in 1922 but did nothing about unity on accession to power. He failed to tackle the scourge of emigration. He instigated an Economic War, which bankrupted many farmers. He did of course win back the Treaty ports and kept Ireland out of World War Two. He was no colossus.

As Taoiseach Sean Lemass was driven by a desire to promote economic development via the Programmes for Economic Expansion. He was fortunate that the FG Minister for Finance Gerald Sweetman had promoted TK Whitaker who masterminded the development of economic planning. Lemass attempted to reach out to the North. The Lemass O’Neill meetings were a step forward.

Jack Lynch helped alter FF policy on Northern Ireland. Nevertheless he led FF to a landslide victory in the 1977 General Election on the back of the infamous FF Manifesto which triggered the massive economic problems of the 1980s. Lynch was a failure on the economy.

Charlie Haughey doubled the National Debt between 1979 and 1981 and gave a 30% Public Sector pay rise in an effort to bribe the electorate. Under that Haughey Government interest rates hit 21%. This was as irresponsible as the FF Manifesto of 1977. These activities of Lynch and Haughey have been airbrushed from history. In opposition in the 1980s Haughey incited interest groups against the FG/Labour Governments. He fought the 1987 General Election on the slogan of "Health Cuts Hurt The Sick And The Poor". On accession to Government he butchered the health service. Between 1987 and 1989, 200,000 people emigrated. This served to reduce pressure on the Government finances. Gradually the economy recovered. Haughey sought to improve relations with Margaret Thatcher and made some worthwhile moves on the North. Quite frankly he deserves little credit for improvements in the economy. After all Haughey and FF created many of the economic problems.

Albert Reynolds made worthwhile moves on the North and successfully secured 8 billion punts in Euro transfers. Then the FF/Labour Government collapsed.

Bertie Ahern deserves credit for the Good Friday Agreement and social partnership.
He benefited from the 12.5% Corporation Tax rate proposed by the Rainbow Government. This boosted economic development. He was partially responsible for economic success. This was further boosted by low Euro interest rates.

Already the FF propaganda machine with its supporters in the media has been in overdrive talking up new leader Brian Cowen whilst attempting to undermine FG leader Enda Kenny. It glides over the problems in Government Finances major difficulties in the housing market, rising unemployment-up 30,000 in the last three months and 5% inflation.

Yes indeed the cult of the leader is alive and well in FF and in sympathetic media organs such as the Sunday Independent.
The deification of Brian Cowen has begun