Government of the 24th Dáil

Template:Short description Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox government cabinet The 19th government of Ireland (14 December 1982 – 10 March 1987) was the government of Ireland formed after the November 1982 general election to the 24th Dáil. It was a coalition government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party led by Garret FitzGerald as Taoiseach and lasted for Template:Age in years and days.

Nomination of Taoiseach

The 24th Dáil first met on 14 December 1982. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach, the Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Charles Haughey, and Fine Gael leader Garret FitzGerald were both proposed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The nomination of Haughey was defeated with 77 votes in favour to 88 against, while the nomination of FitzGerald was carried with 85 in favour and 79 against. FitzGerald was then appointed as Taoiseach by president Patrick Hillery.<ref name=tapp>Template:Cite web</ref>

14 December 1982 Nomination of Garret FitzGerald (FG) as Taoiseach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Motion proposed by Kieran Crotty and seconded by Nora Owen Absolute majority: 84/166
Vote	Parties	Votes
Template:Tick Yes	Fine Gael (69), Labour Party (16)	Template:Composition bar
No	Fianna Fáil (75), Workers' Party (2), Independent Fianna Fáil (1), Independent (1)	Template:Composition bar
Not voting	Ceann Comhairle (1), Independent (1)	Template:Composition bar

Government ministers

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Garret FitzGerald proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil.<ref name=tapp /> They were appointed by the president on the same day.<ref name=mapp>Template:Cite web</ref>

Office	Name	Term	Party
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGeraldTemplate:Efn	1982–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Tánaiste	Dick Spring	1982–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for the Environment		1982–1983
Minister for Agriculture	Austin Deasy	1982–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Defence	Patrick Cooney	1982–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Education	Gemma Hussey	1982–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Finance	Alan Dukes	1982–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Fisheries and Forestry	Paddy O'Toole	1982–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for the Gaeltacht		1982–1987
Minister for Foreign Affairs	Peter Barry	1982–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Health	Barry Desmond	1982–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Social Welfare		1982–1986
Minister for Industry and Energy	John Bruton	1982–1983	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Justice	Michael Noonan	1982–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Labour	Liam Kavanagh	1982–1983	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs	Jim Mitchell	1982–1984	rowspan=2 style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Fine Gael
Minister for Transport
Minister for the Public Service	John Boland	1982–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism	Frank Cluskey	1982–1983	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 13 December 1983 Reshuffle on the resignation of Frank Cluskey.<ref name=cluskey>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Office	Name	Term	Party
Minister for EnergyTemplate:Efn	Dick Spring	1983–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for the Environment	Liam Kavanagh	1983–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and TourismTemplate:Efn	John Bruton	1983–1986	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Labour	Ruairi Quinn	1983–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 2 January 1984 On the abolition of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and the Department of Transport and the establishment of the Department of Communications.<ref name=comm>Template:Cite web</ref>
Office	Name	Term	Party
Minister for CommunicationsTemplate:Efn	Jim Mitchell	1984–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Template:AnchorChanges 14 February 1986 Reshuffle.<ref name=feb86>Template:Cite web</ref>
Office	Name	Term	Party
Minister for Education	Patrick Cooney	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for the Environment	John Boland	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Defence	Paddy O'Toole	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Finance	John Bruton	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Industry and CommerceTemplate:Efn	Michael Noonan	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Justice	Alan Dukes	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for the Public Service	Ruairi Quinn	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Social Welfare	Gemma Hussey	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and ForestryTemplate:Efn	Liam Kavanagh	1986–1987	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 20 January 1987 On 20 January 1987, Dick Spring, Barry Desmond, Liam Kavanagh and Ruairi Quinn, the Labour Party ministers, resigned from the government. No new members joined the cabinet and their portfolios were redistributed.<ref name=labresign>Template:Cite web</ref>
Office	Name	Term	Party
Tánaiste	Peter Barry	1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Energy	Michael Noonan	1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Health	John Boland	1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Labour	Gemma Hussey	1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for the Public Service	John Bruton	1987	Template:Party name with colour
Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry	Paddy O'Toole	1987	Template:Party name with colour

Notes

Attorney General

On 14 December 1982, Peter Sutherland SC was appointed by the president as Attorney General on the nomination of the Taoiseach.<ref name=tapp/><ref name=mapp/> He resigned as Attorney General on 12 December 1984 on his nomination as European Commissioner. On 13 December 1984, John Rogers SC was appointed by the president as Attorney General on the nomination of the Taoiseach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ministers of state

On 14 December 1982, the Government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed Seán Barrett to the post of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip.<ref name=tapp/> On 16 December 1982, the Government appointed the other Ministers of State on the nomination of the Taoiseach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Name	Department(s)	Responsibility	Party
Seán Barrett	Taoiseach<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref> Defence<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref>	Government Chief Whip	Template:Party name with colour
Nuala Fennell	Taoiseach	Women's Affairs and Family Law Reform	Template:Party name with colour
Ted Nealon	Taoiseach<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref>	Arts and Culture	Template:Party name with colour
Ruairi Quinn	Environment<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref>	Urban Affairs and Housing	Template:Party name with colour
Jim O'Keeffe	Foreign Affairs	Overseas Development	Template:Party name with colour
Patrick Hegarty	Agriculture	Production	Template:Party name with colour
Paul Connaughton Snr	Agriculture	Land Structure and Development	Template:Party name with colour
Joseph Bermingham	Finance	Office of Public Works	Template:Party name with colour
Edward Collins	Industry and Energy	Energy Affairs	Template:Party name with colour
John Donnellan	Posts and Telegraphs<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref> Transport	Posts and Telegraphs Service	Template:Party name with colour
Michael Moynihan	Trade, Commerce and Tourism	Tourism	Template:Party name with colour
George Birmingham	Labour	Youth Affairs	Template:Party name with colour
Fergus O'Brien	Health<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref> Social Welfare	Public Health and Social Welfare Information	Template:Party name with colour
Donal Creed	Education	School Buildings and Sport	Template:Party name with colour
Michael D'Arcy	Fisheries and Forestry Gaeltacht	Fisheries and Forestry	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 7 January 1983 Nuala Fennell was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for Family Law Reform in addition to her existing post.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Changes 18 February 1983 Ted Nealon was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs with responsibility for broadcasting in addition to his existing post.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref>
Changes 15 December 1983 Reshuffle on the appointment of Ruairi Quinn to cabinet.<ref name=15dec83>Template:Cite web</ref>
Name	Department(s)	Responsibility	Party
Edward Collins	Trade, Commerce and Tourism	Commercial Affairs	Template:Party name with colour
John Donnellan	Health<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref> Social Welfare	Public Health and Social Welfare Information	Template:Party name with colour
George Birmingham	Education	Co-ordination of Education and Training	Template:Party name with colour
Fergus O'Brien	Environment	Urban Affairs, Housing and Local Government Reform	Template:Party name with colour
Séamus Pattison	Social Welfare	Social Welfare Administration	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 2 January 1984 Ted Nealon was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Communications with responsibility for radio and television on the creation of the new department.<ref name=comm /><ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref>
Changes 13 February 1986 Reshuffle, including the resignation of Joseph Bermingham.<ref name=feb86 />
Name	Department(s)	Responsibility	Party
Fergus O'Brien	Taoiseach Defence<ref>Template:Cite ISB</ref> Environment	Government Chief Whip Urban Development	Template:Party name with colour
Seán Barrett	Taoiseach Education	Dáil Reform Sport	Template:Party name with colour
Jim O'Keeffe	Public Service		Template:Party name with colour
Patrick Hegarty	Agriculture Industry and Commerce	Food Sector	Template:Party name with colour
George Birmingham	Foreign Affairs	European Affairs and Development Co-operation	Template:Party name with colour
Toddy O'Sullivan	Environment	Grants Administration	Template:Party name with colour
Edward Collins	Industry and Commerce Energy	Commerce and Services	Template:Party name with colour
John Donnellan	Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry	Fisheries	Template:Party name with colour
Michael Moynihan	Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry	Tourism	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 18 February 1986 Following the dismissal from office of Donal Creed and Michael D'Arcy, who had refused to resign in order to facilitate the reshuffle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Enda Kenny	Labour Education	Youth Affairs	Template:Party name with colour
Avril Doyle	Finance Environment	Office of Public Works and Environmental Protection	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 23 September 1986 Following the dismissal of Edward Collins.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Name	Department(s)	Responsibility	Party
Richard Bruton	Energy Industry and Commerce	Energy Affairs	Template:Party name with colour
Changes 20 January 1987 On 20 January 1987, Michael Moynihan, Séamus Pattison and Toddy O'Sullivan, the Labour Party ministers of state, resigned their positions. Their positions were not reassigned.<ref name=labresign/>

Confidence in the government

After the February 1986 reshuffle, including the failure of FitzGerald to move Barry Desmond from the Department of Health and having misinformed the Dáil about the resignation of ministers of state who were subsequently sacked, Charles Haughey sought to move a motion of no confidence in the government. This was debated as a motion of confidence in the Taoiseach, proposed by Tánaiste Dick Spring.<ref>Template:Cite web; Template:Cite web; Template:Cite web</ref> The motion of confidence was carried on 21 February 1986 by a vote of 82 to 77.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 1986, Joseph Bermingham had resigned from the Labour Party, leaving the coalition parties in a minority.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 1986, moved a motion of no confidence in the government. This was debated as a motion of confidence in the Taoiseach and the government, proposed by Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald.<ref>Template:Cite web; Template:Cite web; Template:Cite web</ref> The motion of confidence was carried on 23 October 1986 by a vote of 83 to 81.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bermingham voted with the government; Seán Treacy, who had resigned from Labour in February 1985, voted with the opposition.

Government policy

Template:Expand section The "republican crusade" flagged by Garret Fitzgerald when he was previously in government in 1981 was progressed with some changes in policy on Northern Ireland and social issues.

Economics

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Constitutional referendums

The Eighth Amendment to recognise the right to life of the unborn had been proposed by the previous government. It was adopted by the FitzGerald government, but not supported by Labour. An attempt to amend the wording was unsuccessful. The amendment was approved in a referendum in September 1983.

The Ninth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland permitted legislation to allow non-Irish citizens to vote in Dáil elections.

A referendum to ease the ban on divorce was defeated in 1986.

Contraception

A bill to ease restrictions on contraception was passed in 1985. The failure of Desmond O'Malley to vote against this legislation led to his expulsion from Fianna Fáil.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> O'Malley later established the Progressive Democrats in December 1985.

Northern Ireland

The government's New Ireland Forum was a prelude to the Anglo-Irish Agreement signed in 1985.