State Building – The Free State Cumann nGaedheal in Power 1923-1932

State Building – The Free State

Cumann nGaedheal in Power 1923-1932

April 1923 General Election

Cummann na Gaedheal (pro-treaty) – 63 seats

Sinn Fein (anti-treaty) – 44 seats (did not take seats)

Farmers Party – 15 seats

Labour Party – 14 seats

Independents – 17 seats

Leading members of the Government

President of Executive Council - William T. Cosgrave

V. President & Minister for Home Affairs – Kevin O’Higgins

Minister for Finance – Earnest Blythe

Minister for Defence – Richard Mulcahy

Minister for Education – Eoin MacNeill

The ‘New’ Civil Service

1. Government adopted a conservative policy in all areas of administration that differed little from British rule.

2. 98% of the British Civil Service in Ireland transferred to the new Free State Civil Service.

The Civic Guard

1. A new unarmed police force was established

2. Made up mostly of former pro-treaty IRA men

3. Renamed ‘Garda Síochána’ in 1924

4. Presence of some former RIC men caused the resignation of the first Garda commissioner, Michael Staines.

5. Public Safety Act 1923 gave ministers the power to order the internment of anyone they felt was a risk to the security of the state.

The Courts

Similar system to the British court system

1. District Court

2. Circuit Court

3. Central Criminal Court

4. High Court

5. Supreme Court

Local Government

1. Significant changes from British system

2. Each county responsible for public health, elections, road maintenance, poor relief and registration of births, deaths and marriages.

3. Funding raised from a local council tax.

4. Elections based on P.R. system

5. Local Council Act 1925 gave the Minister for Local Government the power to dissolve a County Council if it was unable to pass legislation or was involved in corruption

Cumann nGaedheal Foreign Policy

Constitution of 1922

1. Established the Irish Free State granting Dominion status:

2. The King to be represented by a Governor-General (Irish government insisted on an ordinary Irishman).

3. Oath of Allegiance - made it clear that the King was Head of State but that his authority came from the people.

4. Ireland was in a different position to many of the other Dominions because she was an ancient nation that had struggled to gain independence and was aware that close geographical position made her vulnerable to a curtailment of her powers.

Foreign Affairs

1. Main objective was to push for a greater degree of independence:

2. Applied to join the League of Nations - admitted 1923 - Britain objected.

3. Anglo-Irish Treaty registered as an international agreement (Britain protested that it was an internal affair).

4. Established a foreign Diplomatic Service. Passports issued.

5. Ireland's growing separateness was shown by membership of the Council of Ministers in 1930.

Commonwealth Conferences & Statute of Westminster

1. In 1926 the concept of full equality between Britain and the Dominions was established.

3. It was symbolised by the use of the word “Commonwealth” instead of British Empire.

4. Statute of Westminister ended the claim that British laws were binding on the Dominions and allowed the Parliament of a Dominion to repeal any existing law.

Impact of Foreign Policy

1. Cumann na nGaedheal established the Free State as an independent nation through membership of League of Nations and role in Commonwealth Conferences.

2. The successful introduction of the Statute of Westminster allowed Dominion Parliaments to repeal any existing British law. After 1932 the new Fianna Fail government used the Statute to begin dismantling the Anglo-Irish Treaty.