# 1989 Irish general election

The 1989 Irish general election to the 26th Dáil was held on Thursday, 15 June, three weeks after the dissolution of the 25th Dáil on 25 May by President Patrick Hillery, on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, on the same day as the European Parliament election.
The 26th Dáil met at Leinster House on 29 June 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 July, Haughey was re-appointed Taoiseach, forming the 21st government of Ireland, a coalition government of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats.

## Campaign

The general election of 1989 was precipitated by the defeat of the minority Fianna Fáil government in a private members motion regarding the provision of funds for AIDS sufferers (haemophiliacs who had been infected with contaminated blood products by the health service). While a general election was not necessary – the motion was not a vote of confidence, and therefore defeat was merely an embarrassment for the government – Charles Haughey, the Fianna Fáil leader, sought a dissolution of the Dáil.
Opinion polls had shown that the party's strong performance in government had increased their popularity and an overall majority for Fianna Fáil could be a possibility. Also, rumours were current that the general election was called so that certain Fianna Fáil members could raise money privately for themselves. While these rumours were dismissed at the time, it was revealed more than ten years later that Ray Burke, Pádraig Flynn and Haughey himself had received substantial personal donations during the campaign.
While it was thought that the general election would catch the opposition parties unprepared, they co-ordinated themselves and co-operated very quickly. Further cuts in spending, particularly in the health service, became the dominant issue. Alan Dukes was fighting his first (and as events would prove, his only) general election as leader of Fine Gael. His Tallaght Strategy had kept Fianna Fáil in power, governing as a minority, since 1987.
The general election was held on the same day as the election to the European Parliament, and turnout was 68.5%.

## Results

Election to the 26th Dáil – 15 June 1989 :
| Party | Party | Leader | Seats | ± | % of seats | First pref. votes | % FPv | ±% |
| | Fianna Fáil | Charles Haughey | 77 | 4 | 46.4 | 731,472 | 44.1 | 0 |
| | Fine Gael | Alan Dukes | 55 | 4 | 33.1 | 485,307 | 29.3 | 2.2 |
| | Labour | Dick Spring | 15 | 3 | 9.1 | 156,989 | 9.5 | 3.1 |
| | Workers' Party | Proinsias De Rossa | 7 | 3 | 4.2 | 82,263 | 5.0 | 1.2 |
| | Progressive Democrats | Desmond O'Malley | 6 | 8 | 3.6 | 91,013 | 5.5 | 6.3 |
| | Green | None | 1 | 1 | 0.6 | 24,827 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| | Democratic Socialist | Jim Kemmy | 1 | 0 | 0.6 | 9,836 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| | Sinn Féin | Gerry Adams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,003 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| | Communist | James Stewart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 342 | 0.0 | — |
| | Independent | N/A | 4 | 1 | 2.4 | 54,761 | 3.3 | 0.7 |
| Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | 20,779 | — | — |
| Total | Total | Total | 166 | 0 | 100 | 1,677,592 | 100 | — |
| Electorate/Turnout | Electorate/Turnout | Electorate/Turnout | Electorate/Turnout | Electorate/Turnout | Electorate/Turnout | 2,448,810 | 68.5% | — |
Independents include Independent Fianna Fáil (6,961 votes, 1 seat), Army Wives (6,966 votes) and Gay candidates (517 votes).
No by-elections had taken place during the previous Dáil. Two seats were vacant at the dissolution of the 25th Dáil: in Sligo–Leitrim, caused by the resignation of the Fianna Fáil member Ray MacSharry, and in Dublin South-Central, caused by the death of Frank Cluskey.
While Fianna Fáil had hoped to achieve an overall majority, the party lost seats. The result was a disaster for Fianna Fáil, particularly when the election was so unnecessary. Fine Gael made a small gain, but nothing substantial. The Progressive Democrats did badly, losing over half their deputies. The Labour Party and the Workers' Party gained working-class votes from Fianna Fáil but failed to make the big breakthrough, while Sinn Féin polled worse than its 1987 result. The Green Party won its first seat when Roger Garland was elected for Dublin South.

### Voting summary

First preference vote
Fianna Fáil
44.15%
Fine Gael
29.29%
Labour
9.48%
Progressive Democrats
5.49%
Workers'
4.97%
Green
1.50%
Sinn Féin
1.21%
Others
0.61%
Independent
3.31% :

### Seats summary

Dáil seats
Fianna Fáil
46.39%
Fine Gael
33.13%
Labour
9.03%
Workers'
4.22%
Progressive Democrats
3.61%
Green
0.60%
Democratic Socialist
0.60%
Independent
2.41% :

## Government formation

Forming a government proved to be extremely difficult. Many in Fianna Fáil had hoped that the minority government could continue where it left off, particularly if the Tallaght Strategy continued. However, Fine Gael refused to support the government and so a deadlock developed. The prospect of forming a government seemed remote, so much so that Charles Haughey was forced to formally resign as Taoiseach. For the first time in Irish history a Taoiseach and a government had not been appointed when the new Dáil met. However, twenty-seven days after the general election, Fianna Fáil entered into a coalition for the first time in its history – with the Progressive Democrats, forming the 21st Government of Ireland, led by Haughey as Taoiseach. In February 1992, Haughey resigned and was succeeded as Taoiseach by Albert Reynolds, forming the 22nd Government of Ireland, continuing in coalition with the Progressive Democrats.

## Dáil membership changes

The following changes took place as a result of the election:
* 14 outgoing TDs retired
* 1 vacant seat at election time
* 150 outgoing TDs stood for re-election (also Seán Treacy, the outgoing Ceann Comhairle who was automatically returned)
** 124 of those were re-elected
** 26 failed to be re-elected
* 41 successor TDs were elected
** 32 were elected for the first time
** 9 had previously been TDs
* There were 4 successor female TDs, replacing 5 outgoing, thus reducing the total by 1 to 13
* There were changes in 30 of the 41 constituencies contested
Where more than one change took place in a constituency the concept of successor is an approximation for presentation only.
| Constituency | Departing TD | Party | Party | Change | Comment | Successor TD | Party | Party |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | Kieran Crotty | | Fine Gael | Retired | | John Browne | | Fine Gael |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | Martin Gibbons | | Progressive Democrats | Lost seat | | Phil Hogan | | Fine Gael |
| Cavan–Monaghan | Tom Fitzpatrick | | Fine Gael | Retired | | Bill Cotter | | Fine Gael |
| Clare | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Cork East | Patrick Hegarty | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | | Paul Bradford | | Fine Gael |
| Cork North-Central | Liam Burke | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | | Gerry O'Sullivan | | Labour Party |
| Cork North-West | Donal Moynihan | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Laurence Kelly | | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork North-West | Donal Creed | | Fine Gael | Retired | Son of outgoing TD | Michael Creed | | Fine Gael |
| Cork South-Central | Batt O'Keeffe | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Micheál Martin | | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork South-West | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Donegal North-East | Hugh Conaghan | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Jim McDaid | | Fianna Fáil |
| Donegal South-West | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Dublin Central | Michael Keating | | Progressive Democrats | Retired | | Pat Lee | | Fine Gael |
| Dublin North | John Boland | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | Owen – Former TD | Nora Owen | | Fine Gael |
| Dublin North | G. V. Wright | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Seán Ryan | | Labour Party |
| Dublin North-Central | George Birmingham | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | | Ivor Callely | | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin North-East | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Dublin North-West | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Dublin South | John Kelly | | Fine Gael | Retired | Fennell – Former TD | Nuala Fennell | | Fine Gael |
| Dublin South | Anne Colley | | Progressive Democrats | Lost seat | | Roger Garland | | Green Party |
| Dublin South-Central | Frank Cluskey | | Labour Party | Vacant seat | | Eric Byrne | | Workers' Party |
| Dublin South-Central | Mary Mooney | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | O'Connell – Former TD | John O'Connell | | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin South-East | Michael McDowell | | Progressive Democrats | Lost seat | Doyle – Former TD | Joe Doyle | | Fine Gael |
| Dublin South-West | Seán Walsh | | Fianna Fáil | Lost Seat | | Pat Rabbitte | | Workers' Party |
| Dublin West | Patrick O'Malley | | Progressive Democrats | Lost seat | | Austin Currie | | Fine Gael |
| Dún Laoghaire | Barry Desmond | | Labour Party | Retired | | Eamon Gilmore | | Workers' Party |
| Dún Laoghaire | Geraldine Kennedy | | Progressive Democrats | Lost seat | | Brian Hillery | | Fianna Fáil |
| Galway East | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Galway West | John Donnellan | | Fine Gael | Retired | | Pádraic McCormack | | Fine Gael |
| Kerry North | Denis Foley | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | McEllistrim – Former TD | Tom McEllistrim | | Fianna Fáil |
| Kerry South | Michael Begley | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | Moynihan – Former TD | Michael Moynihan | | Labour Party |
| Kildare | Paddy Power | | Fianna Fáil | Retired | | Seán Power | | Fianna Fáil |
| Laois–Offaly | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Limerick East | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Limerick West | John McCoy | | Progressive Democrats | Retired | | Michael Finucane | | Fine Gael |
| Longford–Westmeath | Henry Abbott | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Louis Belton | | Fine Gael |
| Longford–Westmeath | Patrick Cooney | | Fine Gael | Retired | | Paul McGrath | | Fine Gael |
| Louth | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Mayo East | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Mayo West | Denis Gallagher | | Fianna Fáil | Retired | | Martin O'Toole | | Fianna Fáil |
| Meath | Michael Lynch | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Mary Wallace | | Fianna Fáil |
| Roscommon | Seán Doherty | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Tom Foxe | | Independent |
| Roscommon | Liam Naughten | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | Connor – Former TD | John Connor | | Fine Gael |
| Sligo–Leitrim | Ray MacSharry | | Fianna Fáil | Resigned | | Gerry Reynolds | | Fine Gael |
| Tipperary North | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes | No membership changes |
| Tipperary South | Brendan Griffin | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | | Theresa Ahearn | | Fine Gael |
| Tipperary South | Seán McCarthy | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Michael Ferris | | Labour Party |
| Waterford | Brian Swift | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Brendan Kenneally | | Fianna Fáil |
| Waterford | Martin Cullen | | Progressive Democrats | Lost seat | | Brian O'Shea | | Labour Party |
| Wexford | Hugh Byrne | | Fianna Fáil | Lost seat | | Séamus Cullimore | | Fianna Fáil |
| Wexford | Avril Doyle | | Fine Gael | Lost seat | D'Arcy – Former TD | Michael D'Arcy | | Fine Gael |
| Wicklow | Gemma Hussey | | Fine Gael | Retired | Timmins – Former TD | Godfrey Timmins | | Fine Gael |

## Seanad election

The Dáil election was followed by the election to the 19th Seanad.