Government of the 24th Dáil

Government of the 24th Dáil
19th Government of Ireland
Date formed 14 December 1982
Date dissolved 10 March 1987
People and organisations
Head of government Garret FitzGerald
Deputy head of government Dick Spring (1982–87)
Peter Barry (1987)
Head of state Patrick Hillery
Total number of ministers 15
Member parties Fine Gael
Labour Party (Dec. 1982 – Jan. 1987)
Status in legislature Majority Coalition
Opposition leader Charles Haughey (Fianna Fáil)
History
Election(s) November 1982 general election
Legislature term(s) 24th Dáil
Predecessor 18th Government of Ireland
Successor 20th Government of Ireland

The 24th Dáil was elected at the second general election of 1982 on 24 November 1982 and first met on 14 December when the 19th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 24th Dáil lasted for 1,546 days.

Work

The government resorted to high marginal tax rates to curb the national debt, which had increased when spending commitments accrued under the 1977–81 government's expansion of the public sector became unsustainable after the 1979 energy crisis. High taxes and high unemployment brought a return to high net emigration, a long-established Irish flow which had temporarily reversed in the 1970s. An economic policy document, "Building on reality", was published in 1984.[1]

The "republican crusade" flagged by Garret Fitzgerald in 1981 saw some changes in policy on Northern Ireland and social issues. In the former, the government's New Ireland Forum was a prelude to the Anglo-Irish Agreement signed in 1985. In the latter, a referendum to ease the ban on divorce was defeated in 1986, while a bill to ease restrictions on contraception, passed in 1985, was supported by Desmond O'Malley, expelled as a result from Fianna Fáil.[2]

19th Government of Ireland

The 19th Government of Ireland (14 December 1982 – 10 March 1987) was formed by Fine Gael and the Labour Party.[3]

Office Name Term Party
Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald 1982–87 Fine Gael
Tánaiste Dick Spring 1982–87 Labour Party
Minister for the Environment 1982–83
Minister for Agriculture Austin Deasy 1982–87 Fine Gael
Minister for Defence Patrick Cooney 1982–86 Fine Gael
Minister for Education Gemma Hussey 1982–86 Fine Gael
Minister for Finance Alan Dukes 1982–86 Fine Gael
Minister for Fisheries and Forestry Paddy O'Toole 1982–86 Fine Gael
Minister for the Gaeltacht 1982–87
Minister for Foreign Affairs Peter Barry 1982–87 Fine Gael
Minister for Health Barry Desmond 1982–87 Labour Party
Minister for Social Welfare 1982–86
Minister for Industry and Energy John Bruton 1982–83 Fine Gael
Minister for Justice Michael Noonan 1982–86 Fine Gael
Minister for Labour Liam Kavanagh 1982–83 Labour Party
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs Jim Mitchell 1982–84 Fine Gael
Minister for Transport 1982–87
Minister for the Public Service John Boland 1982–86 Fine Gael
Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism Frank Cluskey 1982–83 Labour Party
Office Name Term Party
Minister for Energy[n 1] Dick Spring 1983–87 Labour Party
Minister for the Environment Liam Kavanagh 1983–86 Labour Party
Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism[n 2] Garret FitzGerald[n 3] 1983 (acting) Fine Gael
John Bruton 1983–86 Fine Gael
Minister for Labour Ruairi Quinn 1983–87 Labour Party
Office Name Term Party
Minister for Communications[n 4] Jim Mitchell 1984–87 Fine Gael
Office Name Term Party
Minister for Education Patrick Cooney 1986–87 Fine Gael
Minister for the Environment John Boland 1986–87 Fine Gael
Minister for Defence Paddy O'Toole 1986–87 Fine Gael
Minister for Finance John Bruton 1986–87 Fine Gael
Minister for Industry and Commerce[n 5] Michael Noonan 1986–87 Fine Gael
Minister for Justice Alan Dukes 1986–87 Fine Gael
Minister for the Public Service Ruairi Quinn 1986–87 Labour Party
Minister for Social Welfare Gemma Hussey 1986–87 Fine Gael
Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry[n 6] Liam Kavanagh 1986–87 Labour Party

Changes 20 January 1987

On 20 January 1987 the Labour Party ministers Dick Spring, Barry Desmond, Liam Kavanagh and
Ruairi Quinn resigned from the government. No new members joined the Cabinet and their portfolios
were redistributed as follows.

Office Name Term Party
Tánaiste Peter Barry 1987 Fine Gael
Minister for Energy Michael Noonan 1987 Fine Gael
Minister for Health John Boland 1987 Fine Gael
Minister for Labour Gemma Hussey 1987 Fine Gael
Minister for the Public Service John Bruton 1987 Fine Gael
Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry Paddy O'Toole 1987 Fine Gael
Notes
  1. ↑ On 12 December 1983 the Department of Industry and Energy was renamed as the Department of Energy
  2. ↑ On 12 December 1983 the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism was renamed as the Department of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism
  3. ↑ Garret FitzGerald took over the Trade, Commerce and Tourism portfolio on a temporary basis, following the resignation of Frank Cluskey.
  4. ↑ On 2 January 1984 the Department of Posts and Telegraphs was abolished and replaced by the Department of Communications.
  5. ↑ On 19 February 1986 the Department of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism was renamed as the Department of Industry and Commerce.
  6. ↑ On 19 February 1986 the Department of Fisheries and Forestry was renamed as the Department of Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Department of the Taoiseach (2 October 1984). Building on Reality 1984-87 (National Economic Plan) (PDF). Government publications. Pl.2648 (8679). Ireland: Oireachtas. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Health (Family Planning) (Amendment) Act, 1985". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "History of Government – Twenty-Fourth Dáil". Department of the Taoiseach. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
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