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Church-state relations and the development of Irish health policy: the mother-and-child scheme, 1944–53

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Eamonn McKee
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Extract

The singularity of the apparent clash of church and state in 1951 and its easy resolution in 1953 should alert us to the dangers of accepting the perception of events as the reality This paper attempts to explain the complexity of factors that gave rise to the appearance of conflict. The evolution of health policy, the relationship of de Valera and Archbishop McQuaid, the intricate politicking of the first inter-party government, the role of the Knights of St Columbanus, the lobbying of the Private Practitioners’ Group of the Irish Medical Association and the medical profession’s influence with the catholic church and the Irish government — these are some of the factors entangled in the controversy The crisis of 1951, however, provides the touchstone by which one can judge the relevance of any record, and the reader should bear; in mind that the confusion of influences covered here relates ultimately to the illusion of conflict. We must go back to the seminal period, the Emergency — the period of the Second World War — to begin to unravel perception from reality

Type
Articles
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 25 , Issue 98 , November 1986 , pp. 159 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1986

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References

1 James Hurson to secretary of Department of Finance, 22 Aug. 1944 (Department of Finance, Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Dublin, S 72/5/49).

2 James Hurson to J. J. McElligott, 13 Sept. 1944 (ibid.).

3 Minister for local government and public health memorandum, ‘Urgent problems relating to public health which must be dealt with’, Proposed delegation order, app. II, no. 7 (S.P.O., S13 444A).

4 Ibid.

5 As Moynihan puts it, ’each influenced the other’ (interview with Maurice Moynihan, 14 July 1986).

6 Department of Local Government and Public Health (hereafter D.L.G.& P.H.), ‘Proposal for the reform of the health services’, paras 9, 14 (S.P.O., S13 444C).

7 D.L.G.& P.H. memo ‘Health services’, 28 Nov 1945, para. 7 (ibid.).

8 J.P. Walshe to Miss O’Connell, 2 Nov 1945 (ibid., S13 444B).

9 James Deeny to secretary, 23 Oct. 1945, reporting on interview (ibid.).

l0 ‘Cornment’ (ibid.).

1l ‘Memo by Deeny, C.M.A., D.L.G.&P.H., on the effects of the Goodenough committee’s recommendations on Irish medical education’, pp 5–6 (ibid.).

12 As above, n. 9.

13 Irish Times, 6 Nov 1944.

14 D.L.G.& P.H., Report of the departmental committee on health services, Sept. 1945 (S.P.O., S13 444B).

15 Ibid., para. 46.

16 Ibid.

17 Whyte, J.H. Church and state in modern Ireland (Dublin, 1971), pp 117–18.Google Scholar

18 ‘Notes of minister for finance on the proposal to institute a state system of family allowances’, 28 Oct. 1939, para. 15 (S.P.O., S11 265A).

19 E.g. Fanning, Ronan, The Irish Department of Finance, 1922–58 (Dublin, 1978), pp 319–21, 323–5, 490–92.Google Scholar

20 Whyte, , Church & state, p. 130.Google Scholar

21 As above, η. 14, para. 134.

22 Ibid., para. 189.

23 D.L.G.& P.H. memo ‘Health services’, 28 Nov 1945, paras 9 and 10 (S.P.O., S13 444C).

24 Ibid., para. 13.

25 Ibid., para. 9.

26 Note of Maurice Moynihan, 29/6 [sic] (ibid.).

27 J. J. McElligott to James Hurson, 7 Sept. 1944 (Department of Finance, S72/5/49).

28 D.L.G.& P.H. memo ‘Health services’, n.d. para. 3 (S.P.O., S13 444B).

29 J. J. McElligott to secretary of D.L.G.& P.H., 14 Feb. 1946, para. 3 (ibid.).

30 Ibid., para. 4.

31 Ibid., paras 5, 11.

32 Whyte, Church & state, pp 138–9.Google Scholar As Whyte records, the charges were investigated by a tribunal established by de Valera and Ward was cleared of them insofar as they related to MacCarvill’s brother Discrepancies were, however, found in his tax returns.

33 Cabinet minutes, 29 Oct. 1946 (S.P.O., G.C. 4/202).

34 Whyte, , Church & state, p. 143.Google Scholar

35 Ibid., pp 137, 138.

36 Ibid., p. 137

37 D. Ó Súilleabháin, secretary of parliamentary secretary, to secretary of Department of the Taoiseach, 27 Feb. 1946 (S.P.O., S13 444C).

38 Sister Edna Purcell to taoiseach, 23 Jan. 1946; Eamon de Valera to Archbishop McQuaid, 6 Mar. 1946 (ibid.).

39 Department of Local Government and Public Health to Department of the Taoiseach, 27 Feb. 1946 (ibid.).

40 Eamon de Valera to Archbishop McQuaid, 6 Mar 1946 (ibid.).

41 Dáil Éireann deb., c. 166–7

42 Whyte, , Church & state, pp 153–5.Google Scholar

43 Fanning, Ronan, Fianna Fáil and the bishops’ in Irish Times, 14 Feb. 1985.Google Scholar

44 Interview with Sean MacBride, 4 Mar 1986.

45 Interview with Noel Browne, 12 Mar. 1986.

46 ‘Memo of the observations of the minister for health on various matters relating to the mother-and-child scheme referred to in a letter, dated 10th October 1950, addressed to the taoiseach by the Most Rev J. Staunton, D.D., bishop of Ferns, secretary to the hierarchy’ (S.P.O., S14 997A).

47 Noel Browne, to J. A. Costello, 13 Feb. 1950 (ibid.).

48 Bishop Staunton to J. A. Costello, 10 Oct. 1950 (ibid.).

49 Ibid.

50 As above, n. 46.

51 Ibid., pp 3, 4.

52 J. A. Costello to Bishop Staunton, 27 Mar 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997A).

53 ‘Extract from “Scheme for a national medical service” submitted by the Medical Association to the D.H. in 1949’ (ibid.).

54 Ibid.

55 Minutes of meeting of Private Practitioners’ Group, 16 Jan. 1946 (Irish Medical Organisation, 10 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin).

56 Ibid., 10 Apr. 1946.

57 Ibid., 6 May 1947

58 Ibid., 23 July 1947

59 Ibid., 7 Jan. 1948.

60 Ibid., 4 Feb. 1948.

61 Ibid., 25 Feb. 1948.

62 Ibid., 24 Feb. 1949.

63 Ibid., 7 Sept. 1949.

64 Ibid., 27 Sept. 1950.

65 Ibid., 18 Mar 1951.

66 Note of I.M.A. deputation to M/H., pp 3–6, 24 Oct. 1950 (S.P.O., S14 997A).

67 Ibid., p. 12.

68 Ibid., pp 13–14.

69 I.M.A. to ‘Dear Doctor’, circular of 12 Dec. 1950, enclosing ‘The following are resolutions which were agreed to at the extraordinary general meeting held on 23rd November’ (ibid.).

70 Bolster, Evelyn, The Knights of Saint Columhanus (Dublin, 1979), p. 110.Google Scholar

71 Ibid., pp 20–21, 34–5.

72 Ibid., p. 84.

73 Ibid., p. 46.

74 Ibid., p. 33.

75 Ibid., pp 43, 86.

76 Ibid., p. 108.

77 Ibid., p. 96.

78 Ibid., p. 95.

79 Ibid., pp 14–15.

80 Ibid., p. 98.

81 Ibid., pp 98–9.

82 Department of the Taoiseach to J. Ρ Brennan, T.D., master general of the guild, 20 Oct. 1950 (S.P.O., S14 997A).

83 P J. Delaney, secretary of I.M.A., to taoiseach, 25 Nov 1950 (ibid.).

84 As above, n. 69.

85 Ibid., pp 2–3.

86 Noel Browne to J. A. Costello, 16 Dec. 1950 (S.P.O., S14 997A).

87 Ibid.

88 S.P.O., S14 997D Department of the Taoiseach, ‘Memorandum, mother-and-child service’ 2 Apr. 1951, para 4.

89 Ibid., para. 5.

90 Interviews with Sean MacBride (4 Mar. 1986), Patrick Lynch (21 Feb. 1986), and Noel Browne (12 Mar. 1986).

91 Interview with Noel Browne, 12 Mar. 1986.

92 Ibid.

93 P J. Delaney to secretary of the Department of Health, 3 Feb. 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997A).

94 Pádraig Ó Cinnéide to Ρ J. Delaney, 19 Feb. 1951 (ibid.).

95 P J. Delaney to secretary of Department of Health, 20 Feb. 1951 (ibid.).

96 Pádraig Ó Cinnéide to Ρ J. Delaney, 23 Feb. 1951 (ibid.).

97 As above, n. 66.

98 ‘Note of report to the national executive of Clann by Sean MacBride on the 10th February 1951 ’ (University College, Dublin, Department of Archives, McGilligan papers, P35 C/175).

99 Ibid.; interview with Sean MacBride, 4 Mar. 1986.

100 Interview with Sean MacBride, 4 Mar 1986.

101 As above, n. 99.

102 Interview with Sean MacBride, 4 Mar. 1986.

103 Irish Independent, 16 Apr. 1951, reprinting Hartnett’s letter of resignation, 8 Feb. 1951.

104 MacBride to Donai O’Donoghue, 11 Nov 1950, enclosing ‘Minute of conversation between Sean MacBride and Noel Browne held at the Russell Hotel and Leinster House on 9 November 1950, prepared by Sean MacBride on the same night’ (private papers of Mr Sean MacBride). Copy also in McGilligan papers.

105 Ibid., p. 5.

106 ‘Brief minute of discussion’ (MacBride papers).

107 Ibid.

108 Interview with Noel Browne, 12 Mar. 1986.

109 Ibid.

110 Ibid.

111 Pádraig Ó Cinnéide to J. J. McElligott, 25 Mar. 1950 (Department of Finance, S 46/7/50).

112 Interview with Patrick Lynch, 21 Feb. 1986.

113 ‘Note of interview with Browne on the 5th February 195Γ (McGilligan papers).

114 Ibid.

115 Irish Press, 16 Feb. 1951.

116 Irish Press, 8 Mar. 1951.

117 Archbishop McQuaid to J. A. Costello, 8 Mar. 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997A).

118 Archbishop McQuaid to Noel Browne, 8 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

119 Noel Browne to J. A. Costello, 19 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

120 J A. Costello to Noel Browne, 15 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

121 Noel Browne to J. A. Costello, 19 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

122 J. A. Costello to Noel Browne, 21 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

123 Noel Browne to J. A. Costello, 21 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

124 Ibid.

125 Pádraig Ó Cinnéide to Ρ J Delaney, 21 Mar 1951 (ibid.).

126 Note of Maurice Moynihan, 21 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

127 Ibid.

128 Ibid.

129 As above, n. 46.

130 Note by J. A. Costello, 22 Mar 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997A).

l31 Maurice Moynihan to J A. Costello, 27 Mar. 1951 (ibid.).

132 Ibid.

133 Archbishop McQuaid to J. A. Costello, 5 Apr. 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997B).

134 Archbishop McQuaid to J. A. Costello, 10 Apr 1951 (ibid.).

135 ‘Note of statement by the minister for external affairs at the cabinet meeting’; J A. Costello to Sean MacBride, 9 Apr. 1951 (ibid.).

136 Ibid.

137 Cabinet minutes, 6 Apr. 1951 (S.P.O., G.C. 5/207); Department of the Taoiseach to minister for health, 7 Apr. 1951 (ibid., S14 997B).

l38 Interview with Noel Browne, 12 Mar. 1986.

139 Note by Maurice Moynihan, 9 Apr 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997B).

140 Maurice Moynihan to taoiseach, 13 Apr. 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997C).

141 Irish Times, 8, 9 Apr. 1951.

142 Unsigned ‘Draft letter to minister for health, not issued’, n.d. (S.P.O., S14 997B). There are four reasons for assuming this draft to be the work of Costello: (1) seven amendments are made in Costello’s hand-writing; (2) it constantly refers to offers of help as in Costello’s letter to Browne of 21 Mar. 1951, (3) it is written expressing the authority of government, as in the request to put the resignation in ’my hands’ for transmission to the president; (4) it bears no similarity to the letter demanding Browne’s resignation sent by MacBride.

143 Irish Times, 14 Apr. 1951.

144 Sean MacBride to Noel Browne, 10 Apr. 1951 (S.P.O., S14 997B).

145 Interview with Noel Browne, 12 Mar. 1986.

146 Ibid.

147 Irish Times, 12 Apr 1951.

148 Interview with Patrick Lynch, 21 Feb. 1986.

149 Interview with Maurice Moynihan, 14 July 1986.

150 Irish Press, 12 Apr. 1951.

151 Irish Times, 12 Apr. 1951.

152 Ibid.

153 Dáil Éireann deb., cxxvi, 1253.

154 Ibid., cols 1223, 1224–5.

155 Ibid., col. 1249.

l56 Pádraig Ó Cinnéide to secretary of Department of Finance, 6 Mar. 1951, and Noel Browne to minister for finance, 6 Mar. 1951 (Department of Finance, S72/5/49).

157 Department of Health memo ‘Health services’, Mar 1953, para. 18 (Department of Finance, S46/7/50).

158 Ibid., para. 19.

159 Private Practitioners’ Group, Minutes of meeting, 11 Mar 1953 (Irish Medical Organisation).

160 Ibid., 30 Oct. 1953.

161 Ibid., 28 Apr. 1954.

162 Ibid., 30 Oct. 1953.

163 Ibid.

164 Ibid.

165 Hennessy, Brendan ‘The health services’ in Frank Litton (ed.), Unequal achievement: the Irish experience, 1957–1982 (Dublin, 1982).Google Scholar

166 Archbishop McQuaid to tánaiste, 6 Nov. 1952 (S.P.O., S13 444H).

167 Phrase used by Browne in interview

168 Whyte, , Church & state, pp 284–90.Google Scholar

169 A version of this paper was read to the Irish Historical Society in Feb. 1986.