1987 Irish general election

The 1987 Irish general election to the 25th Dáil was held on Tuesday, 17 February, four weeks after the dissolution of the 24th Dáil on 20 January by President Patrick Hillery, on the request of Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald. A continuing crisis over public finance and a rejection of the budget had led to the Labour Party withdrawing from the Fine Gael–led coalition government. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas. There were minor amendments to constituency boundaries under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1983.

The 25th Dáil met at Leinster House on 10 March to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland. Charles Haughey was appointed Taoiseach, forming the 20th government of Ireland, a minority single-party Fianna Fáil government.

Campaign The 1987 general election was precipitated by the withdrawal of the Labour Party from the Fine Gael–led government on 20 January 1987. The reason was a disagreement over budget proposals. Rather than attempt to press on with the government's agenda, the Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, Garret FitzGerald, sought a dissolution of the Dáil. An unusually long period of four weeks was set for the campaign.

Fianna Fáil's campaign involved a refusal to make any definite commitments; however, it attempted to convince the electorate that the country would be better under Fianna Fáil. Charles Haughey's attitudes toward Northern Ireland and the Anglo-Irish Agreement were both attacked. However, the campaign was mostly fought on economic issues.

The Labour Party decided against any pre-election pact, particularly with Fine Gael. The Progressive Democrats (PD), founded only two years earlier, surpassed Labour as the third-biggest political party in the Dáil. Although the majority of the PD party consisted of Fianna Fáil defectors, it mainly took seats from Fine Gael.

Results

Notes Independents include Independent Fianna Fáil (7,720 votes, 1 seat) and the Tax Reform League (3,832 votes). Changes in numbers of seats for each party are shown relative to the previous election in November 1982.

Although opinion polls had suggested otherwise, Fianna Fáil once again failed to win an overall majority. The Progressive Democrats did exceptionally well in their first general election, becoming the third-biggest party in the Dáil. Fine Gael lost many seats, mostly to the PDs. The Labour Party fell to its lowest share of the vote since 1933, but managed to salvage 12 seats, more than expected, including that of its leader Dick Spring, who saved his seat by just four votes.

Voting summary

Seats summary

Government formation Fianna Fáil formed the 20th government of Ireland, a minority government, with Charles Haughey returning as Taoiseach. Haughey was nominated as Taoiseach with the votes of his own party, the support of Independent Fianna Fáil TD Neil Blaney and the abstention of Independent TD Tony Gregory. That left him with just half of votes cast. Ceann Comhairle Seán Treacy exercised his casting vote in favour of the nomination of Haughey. The Fianna Fáil government of 1987 to 1989 was the last time to date that a government composed only of members of one party has been formed in Ireland.

Dáil membership changes The following changes took place at the election: 17 outgoing TDs retired 1 vacant seat at election time 147 outgoing TDs stood for re-election (also Tom Fitzpatrick, the outgoing Ceann Comhairle, who was automatically returned) 127 of those were re-elected 20 failed to be re-elected 38 successor TDs were elected 32 were elected for the first time 6 had previously been TDs There were 6 successor female TDs, with the total remaining unchanged at 14 There were changes in 32 of the 41 constituencies contested

Where more than one change took place in a constituency, the concept of successor is an approximation for presentation only. Constituency Departing TD Party Change Comment Successor TD Party Carlow–Kilkenny Dick Dowling Fine Gael Retired Martin Gibbons Progressive Democrats Cavan–Monaghan John Conlan Fine Gael Lost seat Andrew Boylan Fine Gael Clare Sylvester Barrett Fianna Fáil Retired De Valera – former TD Síle de Valera Fianna Fáil Cork East Myra Barry Fine Gael Retired Sherlock – former TD Joe Sherlock Workers' Party Cork North-Central Toddy O'Sullivan Labour Party Moved O'Sullivan moved to Cork South-Central Máirín Quill Progressive Democrats Cork North-West No membership changes Cork South-Central Gene Fitzgerald Fianna Fáil Retired John Dennehy Fianna Fáil Hugh Coveney Fine Gael Lost seat Batt O'Keeffe Fianna Fáil Eileen Desmond Labour Party Retired O'Sullivan moved from Cork North-Central Toddy O'Sullivan Labour Party Cork South-West No membership changes Donegal North-East No membership changes Donegal South-West Cathal Coughlan Fianna Fáil Vacant Mary Coughlan Fianna Fáil Dublin Central Tom Leonard Fianna Fáil Retired Dermot Fitzpatrick Fianna Fáil Alice Glenn Independent Lost seat Glenn was elected as an FG TD in 1982 John Stafford Fianna Fáil Dublin North Nora Owen Fine Gael Lost seat G. V. Wright Fianna Fáil Dublin North-Central No membership changes Dublin North-East Maurice Manning Fine Gael Lost seat Pat McCartan Workers' Party Dublin North-West No membership changes Dublin South Nuala Fennell Fine Gael Lost seat Anne Colley Progressive Democrats Niall Andrews Fianna Fáil Retired Tom Kitt Fianna Fáil Dublin South-Central John O'Connell Fianna Fáil Lost seat Mary Mooney Fianna Fáil Dublin South-East Joe Doyle Fine Gael Lost seat Michael McDowell Progressive Democrats Dublin South-West Michael O'Leary Fine Gael Retired Chris Flood Fianna Fáil Dublin West Liam Skelly Fine Gael Lost seat Patrick O'Malley Progressive Democrats Eileen Lemass Fianna Fáil Retired Lawlor – former TD Liam Lawlor Fianna Fáil Dún Laoghaire Liam T. Cosgrave Fine Gael Lost seat Geraldine Kennedy Progressive Democrats Galway East No membership changes Galway West Fintan Coogan Jnr Fine Gael Lost seat Higgins – former TD Michael D. Higgins Labour Party Kerry North Tom McEllistrim Fianna Fáil Lost seat Jimmy Deenihan Fine Gael Kerry South Michael Moynihan Labour Party Lost seat John O'Donoghue Fianna Fáil Kildare Joseph Bermingham Labour Party Retired Emmet Stagg Labour Party Laois–Offaly Oliver J. Flanagan Fine Gael Retired Son of outgoing TD Charles Flanagan Fine Gael Limerick East Tom O'Donnell Fine Gael Lost seat Clohessy – former TD Peadar Clohessy Progressive Democrats Frank Prendergast Labour Party Lost seat Kemmy – former TD Jim Kemmy Democratic Socialist Party Limerick West William O'Brien Fine Gael Retired John McCoy Progressive Democrats Longford–Westmeath Gerry L'Estrange Fine Gael Retired Henry Abbott Fianna Fáil Louth Pádraig Faulkner Fianna Fáil Retired Dermot Ahern Fianna Fáil Mayo East No membership changes Mayo West Paddy O'Toole Fine Gael Lost seat Jim Higgins Fine Gael Meath Jim Fitzsimons Fianna Fáil Retired Noel Dempsey Fianna Fáil Roscommon No membership changes Sligo–Leitrim Joe McCartin Fine Gael Lost seat John Ellis Fianna Fáil Tipperary North David Molony Fine Gael Retired Michael Lowry Fine Gael Tipperary South No membership changes Waterford Edward Collins Fine Gael Lost seat Martin Cullen Progressive Democrats Donal Ormonde Fianna Fáil Lost seat Brian Swift Fianna Fáil Wexford Michael D'Arcy Fine Gael Lost seat Brendan Howlin Labour Party Wicklow Godfrey Timmins Fine Gael Lost seat Joe Jacob Fianna Fáil Paudge Brennan Fianna Fáil Retired Dick Roche Fianna Fáil

Seanad election The Dáil election was followed by an election to the 18th Seanad.

Notes

References

Further reading

External links 1987 election: Party leaders' debate RTÉ archives