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A Just Society for Ireland? 1964–1987National Coalition, 1973–77

A Just Society for Ireland? 1964–1987: National Coalition, 1973–77 [1973 was the first time that Fine Gael found itself in government since the party adopted Declan Costello’s Just Society proposals as official policy in the 1960s. Costello himself had reversed his decision to retire and had successfully re-entered politics. It has already been argued that Fine Gael’s slight shift to the left as a result of his policies had contributed to the formation of the coalition, while elements of the fourteen-point plan reflected his thinking. In his first interview after being elected Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave spoke to Rodney Rice for RTÉ Radio and outlined his principle priorities for government. He emphasised social welfare reform, an increase in pensions, the removal of VAT from food and the transfer of a portion of the health charges from rates to the central fund.1 The government’s social reform agenda gave Fine Gael an opportunity to satisfy many of the aims of the Just Society. But by the middle of the party’s term in power, the editors of The Vulcan — the newsletter of the Trinity branch of Fine Gael — claimed that the Just Society had been abandoned.2 It would be incorrect to suggest that that document was a guiding consideration in policy formulation for the party by the 1970s, however. Although the language of social reform was prominent in the election campaign, the Just Society was only discussed in profiles of Costello whose return to politics had piqued the interest of journalists.3Towards a Just Society was very much a document of its time, reflective of the emerging thinking in the 1960s.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A Just Society for Ireland? 1964–1987National Coalition, 1973–77

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Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan UK
Copyright
© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2013
ISBN
978-1-349-43779-5
Pages
105 –147
DOI
10.1057/9781137022066_7
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[1973 was the first time that Fine Gael found itself in government since the party adopted Declan Costello’s Just Society proposals as official policy in the 1960s. Costello himself had reversed his decision to retire and had successfully re-entered politics. It has already been argued that Fine Gael’s slight shift to the left as a result of his policies had contributed to the formation of the coalition, while elements of the fourteen-point plan reflected his thinking. In his first interview after being elected Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave spoke to Rodney Rice for RTÉ Radio and outlined his principle priorities for government. He emphasised social welfare reform, an increase in pensions, the removal of VAT from food and the transfer of a portion of the health charges from rates to the central fund.1 The government’s social reform agenda gave Fine Gael an opportunity to satisfy many of the aims of the Just Society. But by the middle of the party’s term in power, the editors of The Vulcan — the newsletter of the Trinity branch of Fine Gael — claimed that the Just Society had been abandoned.2 It would be incorrect to suggest that that document was a guiding consideration in policy formulation for the party by the 1970s, however. Although the language of social reform was prominent in the election campaign, the Just Society was only discussed in profiles of Costello whose return to politics had piqued the interest of journalists.3Towards a Just Society was very much a document of its time, reflective of the emerging thinking in the 1960s.]

Published: Oct 20, 2015

Keywords: Labour Party; Coalition Partner; Unmarried Mother; National Coalition; Youth Policy

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