The Irish pound was linked to sterling, so Ireland was forced to devalue also. People’s savings were hit, as they were now worth only 70% of what they had been. More importantly, the devaluation of the pound also raised the cost of imports, including basic raw materials. This led to a balance of payments crisis. The country was spending more on imports than it was taking in from exports. Between 1950 and 1951 Ireland’s balance of payments deficit doubled to over £60 million.
Health
Dr Noel Browne, a member of Clann na Poblachta, was appointed Minister for Health in 1948, on his first day as a sitting TD. It became his responsibility to deal with the antiquated Irish medical system and to tackle the many health problems that were rife in the poorer areas of the country. The previous Fianna Fáil government had carried out an investigation into the health issues affecting Irish society in 1947. Once Browne took over, he set about implementing the reforms needed to deal with them.
Of paramount concern was the lung disease tuberculosis (TB). TB was a scourge in the 1940s, accounting for 7.1% of all deaths in the country in 1949. Browne himself had seen his parents die from it. Browne set aside £20 million for screening and treatment programmes to combat TB. Free X-rays were made available, and people found to have the disease were given treatment. New hospitals and sanatoriums were built, and antibiotics introduced to treat the large number of sufferers. Browne’s programme brought dramatic results. The death rate from TB plummeted from 124 per 100,000 people in 1947 to 24 per 100,000 by 1957.
Minister for Health Dr Noel Browne.
TB sanatorium in Blanchardstown, Dublin. 390 LEAVING CERTIFICATE HISTORY
