General Election, 24th November 1982 -Factfile

General Election, 24th November 1982

Factfile

24th DAIL (166 DEPUTIES)

Others include: The Workers Party; the Democratic Socialist Party; the Irish Republican Socialist Party; the Communist Party of Ireland; and non - party candidates

Turnout 72%
Number of women elected - 14 (8%)

Elected for Clare : Sylvester Barrett (FF), Brendan Daly (FF),
Madeleine Taylor - Quinn (FG), Donal Carey (FG)

Snap election called after FF minority govt loses Dail confidence motion by 82 votes to 80

Sudden death in October of Bill Loughnane (Clare) and serious illness of Jim Gibbons (Carlow - Kilkenny) reduces FF voting strength

Weary electorate faces third election in eighteen months

Disarray in public finances causes drop in Ireland’s international credit rating ; unemployment rises by 30,000 since February election to 171,000

Public disquiet over cost of "Gregory deal" with various estimates in range of Ł80m to Ł150m

Dick Spring, new Labour leader since 1 November 1982, succeeding Michael O’Leary, first Kerryman to lead major national party

The Workers Party contest first election as the Workers Party, having changed name from Sinn Fein the Workers Party, April 1982

Both FF and FG pledge to hold "pro-life" abortion referendum acceding to demands of Pro-Life pressure group

Nan Joyce (Non-party, Dublin South West) champions travellers rights, holds press conference in muddy field on Belgard Road, Tallaght

22 members of FF parliamentary party publicly vote no confidence in leadership of Charles Haughey in October

Six of the "Club of 22" lose seats : Martin O’Donoghue, Jim Gibbons (campaigning from a hospital bed), John Ellis, Gerry Brady, Tom Bellew and Liam Lawlor

FF vote down in wake of embarrassing "GUBU" scandals

FG vote in Dublin at 41% compared to 27% in 1977

Of 364 candidates in election 106 lose their deposit

First - time deputies in 24th Dail include Monica Barnes (FG), Michael Bell (Lab), Avril Doyle (FG), Brendan McGahon (FG), Tomas MacGiolla (WP), M.J. Nolan (FF), Mary O’Rourke (FF) and Dan Wallace (FF)

Final election result : FF 75, FG 70, Lab 16, Others 5

14 December : FG - Lab coalition govt formed ending 18 months of political instability, with six vote majority ; Fitzgerald Taoiseach, Spring Tanaiste

"He is always Garret the good. Garret has a halo and Haughey has horns."
-Maureen Haughey, wife of FF leader Charles Haughey, November 1982

"I would not stay on as a scarecrow leader."
-Michael O’Leary, resigning as Lab leader after party’s annual conference in October. Within days he joins FG

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