That is correct robomatic he did. He also gave Churchill permission to fly the Sunderland bombers based on Lough Erne in County Fermanagh to fly across County Donegal in the Irish Republic to attack the u boats in the Atlantic. If he had not been given permission the Sunderlands would have had to fly north and then left which would not have allowed them to be in the air long enough to search. When Hilter bombed Belfast twice in the early years of the war, it was Dev that rang the then P.M. in the north, Mr. J.M. Andrews and offered fire engines, they arrived all through the night from the Republic. Much has been said about Churchill offering Dev the north in 1939 if he came on board in the fight against Hilter. I am sure there must be something about it on the net, hearsay on my behalf.So it's funny the points people care to remember.