Presidency: Éamon de Valera was developing a depression over financial worries when he was President, the State papers have revealed.
His doctor, Prof Bryan G. Alton, wrote to the then-Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch, in January, 1973, expressing his concern over the matter.
"At the present time, physically, he is in quite good health for his age," Prof Alton wrote. "Mentally, he is tending to develop a depression. The main basis for the matter appears to be financial."
Mr de Valera was nearing the end of his presidency when the letter was written in January and he retired from public life that June.
Prof Alton wrote that Mr de Valera was worried that his pension would be "very small and inadequate".
"Many elderly people get depressed and feel they are going to end their days in poverty.
"On the other hand, Mrs de Valera is now a complete invalid and the President has the worry that she will need constant care. His fears may be totally unfounded, but he speaks of them very rationally and convincingly."
Two days later, the Taoiseach, Mr Lynch replied, saying he had visited Mr de Valera the previous day.
He pointed out that Mr de Valera had refused to accept an increase in his allowance, when the allowances of Oireachtas ministers were increased a few years before.
In fact, he "specifically requested me not to include provision for such in the appropriate legislation and this notwithstanding pressure from me".
The personal secretary to President de Valera, Ms Marie O'Kelly, told Mr Lynch that the President had forgotten this matter when he was contemplating his financial situation.
Mr Lynch said he assured the President that he would look urgently into the matter and see how the situation could be redressed.
In March, Prof Alton wrote on the same issue to the new Taoiseach, Mr Liam Cosgrave, when the coalition came into power.
At that time, the President's salary was £11,500, £5,000 of which was personal remuneration. This personal pay was unchanged since the office was created 35 years earlier.
Two months after Prof Alton's initial letter was sent, the Minister for Finance sent a memo to the Government proposing an increase in the President's pay and pension.
On July 18th, the Dáil passed a new bill, increasing both rates.
The President's personal remuneration rose to £11,413 while the Presidential pension rose from £1,200 a year to just over £5,706.
