Prime Minister Eamon de Valera usually gets his bills passed in Eire’s Bail Eireann (lower house) by a small majority. He has often been irked by the fact that his Fianna Fail Party, with 68 votes out of 138, has had to depend upon scattering Labor and Independent votes.
Last week the Dail Eireann in Dublin passed by one vote a bill to create an arbitration board for civil service grievances. Two days later, Prime Minister de Valera surprised friend & foe alike by deciding that the vote showed lack of confidence. He dissolved the Dail Eireann, called for general elections on June 17.
In the opinion of Eire politicians, shrewd “Dev” had chosen a fortunate time for the elections. Six weeks ago he concluded a commercial political agreement with Britain. Since then “Dev’s” political stock has risen high.
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