On 27 January 1982 TaoiseachGarret FitzGerald sought an immediate dissolution of the Dáil following the collapse of his minority government. While FitzGerald met with President Patrick Hillery at Áras an Uachtaráin, several Fianna Fáil members (including party leader Charles Haughey and former Foreign Minister Brian Lenihan Snr) attempted to contact the president. Their aim was to persuade Hillery to deny the dissolution, which would have forced FitzGerald to resign and allowed the Dáil to nominate a new Taoiseach, paving the way for Haughey’s potential return to office.[3]
The attempts to influence Hillery were unconstitutional, as the president is bound to act only on the advice of the Taoiseach in such matters and must otherwise act independently under the constitutional principle of "as a chomhairle féin" or "under his own counsel". Hillery, angered by the interference, rejected the overtures. Allegations later emerged that Haughey had threatened Hillery’s aide-de-camp, Captain Anthony Barber, after being denied access to the president.[3]
Ultimately, Hillery upheld his constitutional obligations and granted FitzGerald the dissolution, triggering a general election campaign. In a protective gesture, Hillery ordered a note to be placed on Barber’s service record to shield him from potential retribution.[3]
Campaign
The campaign was dominated by economic issues, with all parties downplaying the necessity of spending cuts despite the country’s severe fiscal challenges. Fianna Fáil, under Charles Haughey, initially dismissed the need for austerity, presenting policies focused on increasing disposable income for families. Their message resonated with voters, earning headlines such as "FF’s family budget" in the Evening Echo on February 12. However, as the campaign progressed, the need for more realistic measures became evident, and Fianna Fáil pivoted towards policies resembling those already implemented by Fine Gael during its time in office. Garret FitzGerald, leading Fine Gael, criticised Fianna Fáil’s initial proposals as "myopic".[3]
Result
The election results revealed a closely fought contest. Although Fianna Fáil won the largest number of seats, securing 81 out of the 84 needed for a majority, the outcome was not decisive. The Evening Echo in Cork reflected the tight result with the headline "Trend to FF, but FG fight back".[3]
Fianna Fáil emerged out of the election as the largest party and appeared most likely to form a government. However, internal divisions within the party threatened Charles Haughey’s bid for Taoiseach. Despite speculation about a potential leadership challenge by Desmond O'Malley, which ultimately failed to materialise, Haughey was confirmed as the party's nominee. To secure the necessary support for his return to office, Fianna Fáil struck a deal with socialist TD Tony Gregory, Independent Fianna Fáil TD Neil Blaney, and the three Sinn Féin The Workers' Party deputies, including Joe Sherlock. With this backing, Haughey was appointed Taoiseach, allowing Fianna Fáil to form a government, the 18th Government of Ireland.[3]
Dáil membership changes
The following changes took place as a result of the election:
7 outgoing TDs retired
1 vacant seat at election time
157 outgoing TDs stood for re-election (also John O'Connell, the outgoing Ceann Comhairle, who was automatically returned)
136 of those were re-elected
21 failed to be re-elected
29 successor TDs were elected
21 were elected for the first time
8 had previously been TDs
There was 1 successor female TD, who replaced 4 outgoing; thus the total decreased by 3 to 8.
There were changes in 26 of 41 constituencies
Where more than one change took place in a constituency the concept of successor is an approximation for presentation only.
^Doherty died in August 1981 but no by-election had been called by the time of the general election.
References
^Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1980, s. 1: Amendment of section 14 of Electoral Act 1963 (No. 40 of 1980, s. 1). Enacted on 23 December 1980. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
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