Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:Infobox official post The Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures was the title of Frank Aiken as a member of the Government of Ireland from 8 September 1939 to 18 June 1945 during The Emergency<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="start-end-dates">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> — the state of emergency in operation in Ireland during World War II. The Minister was intended to handle Civil Defence and related measures, allowing the Minister for Defence to concentrate on matters relating to the regular Army. The office was also responsible for handling wartime censorship.

Aiken was a minister without portfolio, as there was no Department of State corresponding to his brief,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> although there was an Office of the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939, which allows for ministers without portfolio, also allows such a minister to have a specific style or title.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In fact, Aiken had been appointed on 8 September 1939, and the Act was passed on 21 December 1939, backdated to 8 September.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Minister for Supplies, who did have a corresponding Department of State, was established on the same dates.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The section in the Act on ministers without portfolio was seen by Richard Mulcahy as designed to safeguard the legality of Aiken's office.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Taoiseach Éamon de Valera explained the reasoning behind the ministry:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Quote

The Minister received functions delegated by other ministers, as provided for by section 6 of the Emergency Powers Act 1939.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="si-1943-326">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Aiken enforced stringent censorship of news, and of material potentially sympathetic to the Allies, in accordance with Ireland's neutrality.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He was also responsible for air raid precautions, delegated by the Minister for Defence.<ref name="si-1943-326"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Seán Moylan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> served also as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In April 1941, Aiken went to the United States to ask President Franklin D. Roosevelt for military aid. Roosevelt told Aiken that Ireland should be supporting Britain, prompting Aiken to ask Roosevelt to seek guarantees from the British Government that the UK would not invade Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1943, Labour Party TDs William Davin and Timothy J. Murphy questioned the need for such a minister, and the vagueness of its responsibilities.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The ministry was abolished on 18 June 1945.<ref name="start-end-dates"/> The following day, Aiken was appointed Minister for Finance.

References

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