Revisionist FF website claims Lemass created IDA despite him directly opposing its establishment – Doyle

Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow, Andrew Doyle, has highlighted how Fianna Fáil is trying to claim credit for the creation of the IDA in a desperate effort to re-write history and convince people of its job creation credentials.

“Fianna Fáil is wrongly claiming credit for establishing the IDA under Sean Lemass. The Fianna Fáil website claims the following: ‘Former Fianna Fáil leader Seán Lemass set up the IDA and it was a defining moment for Ireland’.

“In fact, Sean Lemass actively opposed the establishment of the IDA when legislation was debated in Dáil Éireann and strongly criticised Fine Gael for creating the institution. Furthermore, the IDA website dates its origins to 1949 when Fine Gael was in government.

“The Dáil records show that on 9th March 1950, Mr Lemass said: “The proposal is to transfer the trade and industries branch of the Department to a new office in St. Stephen’s Green to function under this Industrial Development Authority, instead of under the Minister responsible to the House. Needless to remark, we are opposed to this proposal. It is a typical product of the Fine Gael mind.” (Industrial Development Authority Bill, 1949 — Second Stage, Thursday, 9 March 1950)

“Mr Lemass is correct in ascribing a culture of supporting enterprise and job creation to Fine Gael. Unlike Fianna Fáil, we have always fundamentally recognised the importance of attracting investment into Ireland and of supporting small and medium businesses.

“Perhaps this revisionism on job creation is driven by the Fianna Fáil’s lamentable record on jobs and its failure to present any alternatives for job creation for the future. Over 90,000 people a year lost their jobs under the last Fianna Fáil government because the Party bet the house on an unsustainable construction boom. More than four years into its time in opposition, the Party still has no jobs policy.

“Instead of misleading people about the past, the jobs section of the Fianna Fáil website should actually focus on how it proposes to create jobs in the future. However, given their lack of policies in other key areas, I will not be holding my breath for their jobs policy.”

ENDS
 

Note to Editors:
See link to relevant page on Fianna Fáil website: https://www.fiannafail.ie/issues/jobs/

See link to debate in 1949 in which Sean Lemass criticises creation of IDA:
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail1950030900044?opendocument

See link on IDA website to its foundation in 1949: http://www.idaireland.com/about-ida/history/