The 1992 Irish general election to the 27th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 25 November, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the 26th Dáil on 5 November by President Mary Robinson, on the request of Taoiseach Albert Reynolds following a defeat of the government in a motion of confidence. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, under a revision in the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1990. Three referendums on abortion were held on the same date.
The 27th Dáil met at Leinster House on 14 December 1992 to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland. No government was formed on that date, but on 12 January 1993, Reynolds was re-appointed Taoiseach, forming the 23rd government of Ireland, a coalition government of Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party.
Campaign
The general election of 1992 was precipitated by the collapse of the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition government. Allegations of dishonesty at the Beef Tribunal forced Desmond O'Malley and his party to part ways with Albert Reynolds's Fianna Fáil. Both Albert Reynolds and John Bruton of Fine Gael were fighting their first general election as leader of their respective parties. For Reynolds it would be his only election as leader. The campaign went very poorly for Fianna Fáil with Reynolds's support dropping by 20%.
On the left, the Labour Party had increased their support in the local elections the previous year and many were predicting major gains for the party in the Dáil. The Workers' Party had split at a special convention that year over a motion to re-constitute the party, similar to the move made the same year by the Italian Communist Party, and sever all links with the Official IRA. Six out of their seven TDs and a majority of their councillors left the party when the motion failed to be passed and formed Democratic Left in early 1992.
Many political pundits had predicted that Fianna Fáil would not be re-elected and that a "Rainbow Coalition" involving Fine Gael, the Labour Party and possibly Democratic Left would be formed. John Bruton, the leader of Fine Gael, had problems of his own. Opinion polls showed that if a "Rainbow Coalition" came to power, Dick Spring of the Labour Party was seen as a better potential Taoiseach than Bruton. The possibility of a rotating Taoiseach was also hinted at in the media.
The big winner of the campaign was Dick Spring and the Labour Party. They distanced themselves completely from Fine Gael and fought an independent line. During the campaign Spring made very little comment about what the party would do after the election, however, he did say that if the Labour Party was part of a coalition he would have to be granted a turn as Taoiseach.
The election also saw Moosajee Bhamjee (Labour Party) become the first Muslim TD.
Results
In 1989 the Democratic Socialist Party won 0.6% of the vote and 1 seat; the party merged with the Labour Party in 1990. Independents include Independent Fianna Fáil (5,248 votes, 1 seat).
Voting summary
Seats summary
Government formation
Fianna Fáil had its worst performance since 1927, winning less than 40% of the vote. Fine Gael, in spite of predictions of success, lost 10 seats. The Labour Party recorded its best ever result, an event dubbed the "Spring Tide" and more than doubled its number of seats. Talks between Fine Gael and Labour on establishing a minority government floundered after several weeks, partly over the issue of the "revolving Taoiseach". Spring had to enter into coalition with Fianna Fáil, or force another election. The coalition deal proved very unpopular with many of Labour's supporters, because Dick Spring had campaigned heavily against Fianna Fáil and particularly Albert Reynolds. As a result of the coalition, Albert Reynolds was elected Taoiseach with over 100 votes, the biggest majority by any Taoiseach until 2011.
Following a number of scandals in 1994, particularly over the beef industry, the Labour Party left the coalition and, after negotiations, formed the Rainbow Coalition with Fine Gael and Democratic Left on 15 December 1994, as three by-election gains had by then made a Fine Gael-Labour-Democratic Left majority government possible. This was the first and to date, the only, time a new government with new coalition parties took office within a Dáil term.
Dáil membership changes The following changes took place as a result of the election: 11 outgoing TDs retired 155 TDs stood for re-election 126 of those were re-elected 30 failed to be re-elected 41 successor TDs were elected 33 were elected for the first time 8 had previously been TDs There were 10 successor female TDs, increasing the total number by 7 to 20 There were changes in 29 of the 41 constituencies contested
Outgoing TDs are listed in the constituency they contested in the election. For some, such as John Stafford, this differs from the constituency they represented in the outgoing Dáil. 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 No membership changes Cavan–Monaghan John Wilson Fianna Fáil Retired Brendan Smith Fianna Fáil Bill Cotter Fine Gael Lost seat Seymour Crawford Fine Gael Clare Brendan Daly Fianna Fáil Lost seat Tony Killeen Fianna Fáil Madeleine Taylor-Quinn Fine Gael Lost seat Moosajee Bhamjee Labour Party Cork East Joe Sherlock Democratic Left Lost seat John Mulvihill Labour Party Cork North-Central Denis Lyons Fianna Fáil Lost seat Burke – Former TD Liam Burke Fine Gael Cork North-West Laurence Kelly Fianna Fáil Lost seat Moynihan – Former TD Donal Moynihan Fianna Fáil Cork South-Central John Dennehy Fianna Fáil Lost seat O'Keeffe – Former TD Batt O'Keeffe Fianna Fáil Pearse Wyse Progressive Democrats Retired Pat Cox Progressive Democrats Cork South-West No membership changes Donegal North-East No membership changes Donegal South-West No membership changes Dublin Central Dermot Fitzpatrick Fianna Fáil Lost seat Joe Costello Labour Party Dublin North New seat Trevor Sargent Green Party Dublin North-Central Vincent Brady Fianna Fáil Retired Derek McDowell Labour Party Charles Haughey Fianna Fáil Retired Son of outgoing TD Seán Haughey Fianna Fáil Pat Lee Fine Gael Lost seat Previously represented Dublin Central but due to boundary changes ran in Dublin North-Central John Stafford Fianna Fáil Lost seat Previously represented Dublin Central but due to boundary changes ran in Dublin North-Central Dublin North-East Michael Joe Cosgrave Fine Gael Lost seat Seán Kenny Labour Party Pat McCartan Democratic Left Lost seat Tommy Broughan Labour Party Dublin North-West Michael Barrett Fianna Fáil Retired Noel Ahern Fianna Fáil Jim Tunney Fianna Fáil Lost seat Róisín Shortall Labour Party Dublin South Nuala Fennell Fine Gael Retired Eithne FitzGerald Labour Party Roger Garland Green Party Lost seat Liz O'Donnell Progressive Democrats Dublin South-Central Eric Byrne Democratic Left Lost seat Pat Upton Labour Party Fergus O'Brien Fine Gael Retired Seats reduced from 5 to 4 Dublin South-East Garret FitzGerald Fine Gael Retired Frances Fitzgerald Fine Gael Joe Doyle Fine Gael Lost seat McDowell – Former TD Michael McDowell Progressive Democrats Gerard Brady Fianna Fáil Lost seat Eoin Ryan Fianna Fáil Dublin South-West New seat Éamonn Walsh Labour Party Dublin West Tomás Mac Giolla Workers' Party Lost seat Joan Burton Labour Party Dún Laoghaire Monica Barnes Fine Gael Lost seat Helen Keogh Progressive Democrats Brian Hillery Fianna Fáil Lost seat Became a minister on first day Niamh Bhreathnach Labour Party Galway East No membership changes Galway West Frank Fahey Fianna Fáil Lost seat Éamon Ó Cuív Fianna Fáil Kerry North Tom McEllistrim Fianna Fáil Lost seat Foley – Former TD Denis Foley Fianna Fáil Kerry South Michael Moynihan Labour Party Retired Daughter of outgoing TD Breeda Moynihan-Cronin Labour Party Kildare No membership changes Laois–Offaly Tom Enright Fine Gael Lost seat Pat Gallagher Labour Party Limerick East No membership changes Limerick West No membership changes Longford–Roscommon Louis Belton Fine Gael Lost seat Represented Longford–Westmeath but due to constituency changes was one of 5 outgoing TDs standingin this new 4 seat constituency Terry Leyden Fianna Fáil Lost seat Doherty – Former TD Seán Doherty Fianna Fáil Louth No membership changes Mayo East Seán Calleary Fianna Fáil Retired Tom Moffatt Fianna Fáil Mayo West Martin O'Toole Fianna Fáil Retired Séamus Hughes Fianna Fáil Meath John Farrelly Fine Gael Lost seat Brian Fitzgerald Labour Party Sligo–Leitrim Gerry Reynolds Fine Gael Lost seat Declan Bree Labour Party Tipperary North No membership changes Tipperary South No membership changes Waterford No membership changes Westmeath Due to boundary changes, only 2 outgoing TDs from Longford–Westmeath moved to this 3-seat constituency Willie Penrose Labour Party Wexford Séamus Cullimore Fianna Fáil Lost seat Byrne – Former TD Hugh Byrne Fianna Fáil Michael D'Arcy Fine Gael Lost seat Doyle – Former TD Avril Doyle Fine Gael Wicklow Dick Roche Fianna Fáil Lost seat Johnny Fox Independent New seat Liz McManus Democratic Left
Seanad election The Dáil election was followed in early 1993 by the election to the 20th Seanad.
Notes
References
Further reading
External links 1992 election: Party leaders' debate RTÉ archives