General Election, 25th November 1992 General Election, 25th November 199227th DAIL (166 DEPUTIES)
Others include: the Progressive Democrats; Democratic Left; the Christian Centrist Party; the Green Party - Comhaontas Glas; Sinn Fein; the Workers Party; and non-party candidates
Turnout 68%
Number of women elected - 20 (12%)
Elected for Clare: Donal Carey (FG), Tony Killeen (FF),
Moosajee Bhamjee (Lab), Sile de Valera (FF)
Albert Reynolds takes over as leader FF and Taoiseach February 1992
Reynolds’s allegation of "dishonesty" against fellow cabinet minister Des O’Malley causes collapse of FF - Progressive Democrats coalition govt
Allegation made under oath at Beef Tribunal where evidence given by Reynolds and O’Malley conflicted
4 November : O’Malley (Minister for Industry and Commerce), fellow PD Minister Bobby Molloy (Energy) and PD Minister for State Mary Harney withdraw from cabinet
26th Dail dissolved by Presidential Commission for first time in history of State - President Robinson on private holiday in New Zealand
Ex-Taoisigh Charles Haughey and Garret Fitzgerald do not seek re - election
Three abortion - related referenda held on same polling day
Pre - election opinion polls give Labour leader Spring satisfaction rating of up to 66%
Familiar electoral promises made again including Tallaght Hospital and all - Irish language television station
Labour vote reaches 19% in election ; Labour urban vote up from 9% in 1989 to 24% in 1992
Labour proposes idea of "rotating Taoiseach" in course of election
Eithne Fitzgerald (Lab, Dublin South) is highest vote - getter in election and enters Dail for first time
FG launchs election manifesto "Let’s Bring Out the Best in the Country" at proposed cost of £267 millions - Finance Minister Bertie Ahern (FF) dubs manifesto "Star Trek economics"
Democratic Left, formed March 1992, contests its first election amidst some voter confusion between it and its former comrades in the Workers Party
Tense, long count in Dublin South Central as Ben Briscoe (FF) holds seat from Eric Byrne (Democratic Left) by margin of five votes
Progressive Democrats win ten seats, four more than in 1989. O’Malley claims "vindication"
Final election result : FF 68, FG 45, Lab 33, Others 20
"We cannot have a repeat of the last government performance
where the minority party exercised political
blackmail at regular and irregular intervals."
-Brian Lenihan (FF, Dublin West)
"A lethal cocktail coalition."
-An Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, describing FG’s proposed multi
- party rainbow coalition
"It is not so much a rainbow that Ireland needs, but the
bright sunlight that comes after it."
- John Bruton, FG leader
Back to General Elections, 18th June 1969 - 25th November 1992
