Editing Seán Lemass (section)

===Post-war years===
[[File:IrelandRepublicPopulation1841.PNG|thumb|right|450px]]
After [[World War II]] Lemass sought help from the [[Marshall Aid]] Plan, securing $100m that was mainly spent on the road network. Emigration continued, particularly [[Irish migration to Great Britain|to Britain]]. Despite a high birth rate, the Republic's population continued to fall until the 1960s (see chart).

In 1948, partly due to its own increasing isolation and also due to a republican backlash against its anti-IRA policies (which during the Emergency had seen the execution of IRA prisoners – in part due to IRA links with the [[Nazism|Nazis]]), which had produced a rival republican party, [[Clann na Poblachta]], Fianna Fáil lost office.<ref name=dib/>

The [[Government of the 13th Dáil|First Inter-Party government]], made up of [[Fine Gael]], the [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]], [[National Labour Party (Ireland)|National Labour Party]], [[Clann na Talmhan]], Clann na Poblachta and Independents, was formed under Fine Gael TD [[John A. Costello]]. In opposition, Lemass played a crucial role in re-organising and streamlining Fianna Fáil. As a result of this, and also due to crises within the Inter-Party government over the controversial [[Mother and Child Scheme]], Fianna Fáil were not long out of government.<ref name=dib/>

In 1951, Fianna Fáil returned to office as a minority government. Lemass again returned as Minister for Industry and Commerce. Lemass believed that a new economic policy was needed, however, de Valera disagreed.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} [[Seán MacEntee]], the [[Minister for Finance (Ireland)|Minister for Finance]], tried to deal with the crisis in the balance of payments. He was also unsympathetic to a new economic outlook. In 1954, the government fell and was replaced by the [[Government of the 15th Dáil|Second Inter-Party government]].<ref name=dib/>

Lemass was confined to the Opposition benches for another three years. In 1957, de Valera, at the age of seventy-five, announced to Fianna Fáil that he planned to retire. He was persuaded however to become [[Taoiseach]] one more time until 1959 when the office of [[President of Ireland]] would become vacant. Lemass returned as [[Tánaiste]] and Minister for Industry and Commerce. In 1958, the first ''Programme for Economic Development'' was launched. De Valera was [[1959 Irish presidential election|elected president]] in 1959 and retired as [[Fianna Fáil]] leader and Taoiseach.<ref name=dib/>