Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures |
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| Minister without portfolio | |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Taoiseach |
| Nominator | Taoiseach |
| Appointer | President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach |
| Formation | 8 September 1939 |
| First holder | Frank Aiken |
| Final holder | Frank Aiken |
| Abolished | 16 August 1945 |
The Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures was a special job held by Frank Aiken in the Government of Ireland. He held this role from September 8, 1939, to June 18, 1945. This was during a time known as The Emergency, which was Ireland's name for the state of emergency during World War II.
The main idea behind this role was to handle things like Civil Defence. Civil Defence involves protecting ordinary people and their homes during a war. This allowed the regular Minister for Defence to focus only on the Army. The Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures was also in charge of censorship during the war. Censorship means controlling what news and information people could see or hear.
Contents
What Was This Minister's Role?
The Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures was a bit different from other ministers. Frank Aiken was a "minister without portfolio." This means he didn't have a regular government department, like a Department of Education or Health. Instead, he had a special office to help him do his job.
Why Was This Ministry Created?
Taoiseach Éamon de Valera, who was the head of the Irish government, explained why this new role was needed. He said that during wartime, defence was very important. The regular Minister for Defence needed to focus completely on the Army and its needs.
So, Frank Aiken was given the job of coordinating all the other defence efforts. This included things like making sure people were safe from air raids. He was chosen because he had a lot of experience.
What Did the Minister Do?
The Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures took on tasks from other ministers. For example, he was responsible for air raid precautions. This meant making sure people knew what to do if enemy planes attacked.
Frank Aiken also made sure that news was strictly censored. This was because Ireland was neutral during World War II. Being neutral meant Ireland did not take sides with either the Allies or the Axis powers. Censorship helped Ireland stay neutral by controlling information.
Seán Moylan also helped with this role. He was a Parliamentary Secretary to both the Minister for Defence and the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures.
Important Events
In April 1941, Frank Aiken traveled to the United States. He met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Aiken asked President Roosevelt for military help for Ireland. However, Roosevelt told Aiken that Ireland should be supporting Britain. Aiken then asked Roosevelt to get promises from the British government that they would not invade Ireland.
Questions About the Ministry
In 1943, some politicians from the Labour Party questioned the need for this special minister. William Davin and Timothy J. Murphy wondered if the role was still necessary and if its responsibilities were clear enough.
End of the Ministry
The special ministry was ended on June 18, 1945. The very next day, Frank Aiken was given a new job. He became the Minister for Finance, which is in charge of the country's money.
Images for kids
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Frank Aiken in 1944, who held the post of Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures.
