Editing Seán Lemass (section)

===Social change===
As a result of the economic expansion, there was an increase in industrialisation and urbanisation. An increase in prosperity also led to a move away from insularity and conservatism in Irish life. This was facilitated in no small part by the establishment of the state television service, [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]] on 31 December 1961. Television programmes, such as ''[[The Late Late Show (Irish talk show)|The Late Late Show]]'' and imported American and British ones, had a profound effect on a change in attitude. Subjects such as contraception, the Catholic Church and divorce were being discussed openly in a way that previous generations would never have imagined. The pontificate of [[Pope John XXIII]] and the [[Second Vatican Council]] also had a profound effect on the changing attitudes of Irish Catholics.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In 1963, Ireland saw the first visit of a sitting [[US President]] to Ireland, President [[John F. Kennedy]], the great-grandson of an Irish emigrant, came on an official visit. His visit seemed to symbolise a new age for the post-Famine Irish. During his visit Kennedy visited distant relatives in [[County Wexford]], as well as visiting [[Dublin]], [[Cork (city)|Cork]], [[Galway]] and [[Limerick]]. Kennedy later said that his four-day visit to Ireland was one of his most enjoyable. Kennedy later personally invited Lemass back to [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] in October of the same year. One month later the young President Kennedy would be assassinated.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In 1965, a report titled "Investment in Education" was published. After over forty years of independence, the report painted a depressing picture of a system where no changes had taken place. Lemass appointed several young and intelligent men to the post of [[Minister for Education (Ireland)|Minister for Education]], including Patrick Hillery and [[George Colley]]. Under these people, a slow process of change eventually began to take place.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

The most innovative change in education came in 1966 when [[Donogh O'Malley]] was appointed Minister. Shortly after taking over O'Malley announced that from 1969 all schools up to Intermediate level<ref group="note">The [[Intermediate Certificate (Ireland)|Intermediate Certificate]] was an examination taken after three years' study in a secondary school. See [[Junior Certificate]] for the modern equivalent.</ref> would be free and free buses would provide transport for the students. This plan had the backing of Lemass; O'Malley, however, never discussed this hugely innovative and expensive plan with any other cabinet ministers, least of all the Minister for Finance [[Jack Lynch]].{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} However, the plan was not expensive in the long term and has continued ever since. O'Malley had died by the time his brainchild came to maturity.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Various improvements in welfare provision were also carried out during the Lemass era. In 1960, old-age pension insurance was introduced for all manual workers and for salaried employees under a certain earnings ceiling, and in 1963, child allowances were extended to the first child.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GaWtd5zJfB8C&q=growth+to+limits+ireland+old+age+pension+insurance+for+all+manual+wage+earners&pg=PA248|title=Growth to Limits: The Western European Welfare States Since World War II|first=Peter|last=Flora|date=2 November 1986|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|access-date=2 November 2017|via=Google Books|isbn=9783110111316|archive-date=29 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429151053/https://books.google.com/books?id=GaWtd5zJfB8C&q=growth+to+limits+ireland+old+age+pension+insurance+for+all+manual+wage+earners&pg=PA248|url-status=live}}</ref> A National Manpower Agency was also established.<ref>Ideologues, Partisans, and Loyalists Ministers and Policymaking in Parliamentary Cabinets By Despina Alexiadou, 2016, P.182</ref>