Coalition in Eire

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1948, Page 7

Coalition in Eire

(From Patrick Quinn, Reuter correspondent).

DUBLIN, (By Airmail). Irishmen, whom many formerly liked to predict would never agree to govern themselves, owing to an alleged national tendency to quarrel have not only confounded their critics,- but. may now be on the way to providing the world with a striking example of how to govern successfully ith a coalition. Up to six months ago, single party Government had worked well • for 26 years in Eire. Then a big change came. Mr Eamon de Valera failed to secure a clear majority at the polls last February—a very difficult thing to achieve in any circumstances with the proportional representation system of election in operation here. Although his is by far the largest party he was deprived of power by a combination of groups composed of Farmers, Socialists and Republicans. None holds violently antagonistic views and they have succeeded in governing very well since. The main aim of the coalition is to do the best it can for the country. So far they have shown as much, and possibly more, unanimity than if they were a single party. They, want to work together and to reconcile differences in a friendly spirit of give and take. People who know this country well are surprised at the success achieved by Mr John A. Costello as Prime Minister. Even Mr de Valera, wise and seasoned old veteran that he is, did not believe six months ago that the Coalition would last long. Mr de Valera predicted an explosion over the first budget. He did not believe that the conflicting views of the Coalition parties would be reconcilable when it came to framing a bugget, but ne left one element out of his calculations—that none- of the Coalition parties wish to see Mr de Valera back in power again. The Government has cut Mr de Valera’s spending programme. _ A beginning was made by cancellingplans for the proposed air service to. the United States and for a short-: wave radio station. 1 The decision was popular. In regard to the less fortunate members of the community,, however, this Government is even more generous than was Mr de Val-i era. The sum of £3,500,000 has been added to the social services, and a( larger and more comprehensive scheme is promised in . spite of warnings by Mr McGilligan, the Minister of Finance, of the need for caution because a burden is being placed' on production which it is none too well prepared to As things stand at present, Mr Costello seems sure of a reasonably long, lease of power. He can dominate the Dail on all big occasions as no Prime Minister before him has ever done, and that is regarded as no small achievement, with Mr de Valera sitting on the Opposition benches. He' values greatly Eire’s association with Britain and the British Commonwealth through the slender links which keep the country) in touch with the Crown, and he has refused in the Dail, able constitutional lawyer though he is. to be drawn into legalistic definitions of Eire’s constitutional position. Whilst not claming actual membership of

the British Commonwealth, he does claim association —which is something which has not yet been defined, but Mr de Valera and Mr Costello appear to be in agreement that association with the Commonwealth should continue:

Mr Costello’s foreign policy has the support of the vast majority' of Irishmen. It would undoubtedly take on a more definite form if all Ireland were one; but Irish unity is. a touchy subject and not likely to be easily solved. Internally, Mr Costello commands plenty of support. The country likes the change of Government and even if Mr de Valera were to return again later,, it is felt that a term in Opposition will have done his party no harm. In the meantime, as a result of the recent Anglo-Irish trade agreement, Eire is looking forward to a period of greater prosperity.