# 24th government of Ireland

The 24th government of Ireland (15 December 1994 – 26 June 1997) was the government formed after the Labour Party had left its previous coalition with Fianna Fáil two years into the 27th Dáil. It was a coalition of Fine Gael, with leader John Bruton as Taoiseach, Labour, with Dick Spring as Tánaiste, and Democratic Left, led by Proinsias De Rossa, known as the Rainbow Coalition. It is the only time to date that a new government was formed within the same Dáil term composed of a different coalition of parties. The 24th government lasted 2 years, 193 days.

## Formation

The Labour Party had been part of the 23rd Government with Fianna Fáil, formed in January 1993 after the 1992 general election, but left in November 1994 following a number of scandals, particularly those which emerged from the Beef Tribunal and the alleged mishandling of the extradition of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth. After Albert Reynolds was replaced as Fianna Fáil leader by Bertie Ahern, there was speculation that Labour would rejoin Fianna Fáil in government, but instead it formed a government with two parties which had been in opposition. By-election gains since 1992 meant the three parties had enough TDs between them for an overall majority.

## Nomination of Taoiseach

In the Dáil debate on the nomination for Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern and Fine Gael leader John Bruton were proposed. Ahern was defeated by 67 votes to 94, while Bruton was approved. Bruton was appointed as Taoiseach by President Mary Robinson.
15 December 1994 Nomination of John Bruton (FG) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Nora Owen and seconded by Paddy Harte Absolute majority: 84/166 :
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Y Yes | Fine Gael (47), Labour Party (32), Democratic Left (6) | 85 / 166 |
| No | Fianna Fáil (65), Progressive Democrats (8), Independent (1) | 74 / 166 |
| Absent or Not voting | Independent (3), Ceann Comhairle (1), Fianna Fáil (1), Green Party (1), Independent Fianna Fáil (1) | 7 / 166 |

## Government ministers

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, John Bruton proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil. They were appointed by the president on the same day.
| Office | Name | Term | Party |
| Taoiseach | John Bruton | 1994–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Tánaiste | Dick Spring | 1994–1997 | Labour |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | Dick Spring | 1994–1997 | Labour |
| Minister for Finance | Ruairi Quinn | 1994–1997 | Labour |
| Minister for Health | Michael Noonan | 1994–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Equality and Law Reform | Mervyn Taylor | 1994–1997 | Labour |
| Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht | Michael D. Higgins | 1994–1997 | Labour |
| Minister for the Environment | Brendan Howlin | 1994–1997 | Labour |
| Minister for Education | Niamh Bhreathnach | 1994–1997 | Labour |
| Minister for Justice | Nora Owen | 1994–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Social Welfare | Proinsias De Rossa | 1994–1997 | Democratic Left |
| Minister for Tourism and Trade | Enda Kenny | 1994–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Enterprise and Employment | Richard Bruton | 1994–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry | Ivan Yates | 1994–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications | Michael Lowry | 1994–1996 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Defence | Hugh Coveney | 1994–1995 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for the Marine | Hugh Coveney | 1994–1995 | Fine Gael |
| Changes 23 May 1995 Hugh Coveney was demoted to a Minister of State after allegations of improper contact with businessmen. |||||
| Minister for Defence | Seán Barrett | 1995–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Minister for the Marine | Seán Barrett | 1995–1997 | Fine Gael |
| Changes 3 December 1996 Michael Lowry resigned following reports of improper payments from businessman Ben Dunne. |||||
| Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications | Alan Dukes | 1996–1997 | Fine Gael |
* ↑ Bruton served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications from 30 November to 3 December 1996 after the resignation of Lowry.

## Attorney General

Dermot Gleeson SC was appointed by the president as Attorney General on the nomination of the Taoiseach.

## Ministers of state

Appointments 15 December 1994
Seán Barrett, TD was appointed by the government as Minister for State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip. Pat Rabbitte, TD was appointed as Minister of State to the Government. Both attended cabinet meetings without a vote. :
| Name | Department(s) | Responsibility | Party | Party |
| Seán Barrett | Taoiseach Defence | Government Chief Whip | | Fine Gael |
| Pat Rabbitte | Minister of State to the Government Enterprise and Employment | Commerce, science and technology and consumer affairs | | Democratic Left |
| Appointments 20 December 1994 Appointment by the government of 13 further Ministers of State on the nomination of the Taoiseach. |||||
| Name | Department(s) | Responsibility | Party | Party |
| Emmet Stagg | Transport, Energy and Communications | | | Labour |
| Brian O'Shea | Health | Mental handicap, health promotion, food safety and public health | | Labour |
| Eithne FitzGerald | Office of the Tánaiste Enterprise and Employment | Labour affairs | | Labour |
| Joan Burton | Foreign Affairs Justice | Overseas development assistance | | Labour |
| Toddy O'Sullivan | Tourism and Trade | | | Labour |
| Gay Mitchell | Taoiseach Foreign Affairs | European affairs IFSC and local development initiatives | | Fine Gael |
| Bernard Allen | Education Environment | Youth and sport Local government reform | | Fine Gael |
| Bernard Durkan | Social Welfare | | | Fine Gael |
| Jimmy Deenihan | Agriculture, Food and Forestry | | | Fine Gael |
| Phil Hogan | Finance | | | Fine Gael |
| Austin Currie | Health Education Justice | Children | | Fine Gael |
| Eamon Gilmore | Marine | | | Democratic Left |
| Liz McManus | Environment | | | Democratic Left |
| Appointments 27 January 1995 Following the increase in the number of Ministers of State permitted from 15 to 17 in the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1995. |||||
| Name | Department(s) | Responsibility | Party | Party |
| Avril Doyle | Taoiseach Finance Transport, Energy and Communications | Consumers of Public Services | | Fine Gael |
| Donal Carey | Taoiseach Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht | Western Development and Rural Renewal | | Fine Gael |
| Change 10 February 1995 Resignation of Phil Hogan after leaking details of the budget. |||||
| Name | Department(s) | Responsibility | Party | Party |
| Jim Higgins | Finance | Public Expenditure Office of Public Works | | Fine Gael |
| Changes 24 May 1995 Following the appointment of Seán Barrett to government. |||||
| Name | Department(s) | Responsibility | Party | Party |
| Jim Higgins | Taoiseach Defence | Government Chief Whip | | Fine Gael |
| Hugh Coveney | Finance | | | Fine Gael |

## Constitutional referendums

The Fifteenth Amendment was proposed by Minister for Equality and Law Reform Mervyn Taylor and approved in a referendum on 24 November 1995. It removed the prohibition on divorce, replacing it terms allowing a court to dissolve a marriage, including a requirement to have been separated for four of the previous five years. It was followed by Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996.
The Sixteenth Amendment was proposed by Minister for Justice Nora Owen and approved in a referendum on 28 November 1996. It allowed a court to refuse bail to someone convicted of a serious offence when reasonably considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence by that person. It was followed by the Bail Act 1997.

## Confidence in the government

After the government had failed to properly effect the dismissal of Judge Dominic Lynch, a motion of no confidence was proposed in the government. This was debated on 12 and 13 November 1996 as a motion of confidence in the government, proposed by the Taoiseach. It was approved by a vote of 79 to 70.

## Dissolution

On 15 May 1997, the president dissolved the Dáil on the advice of the Taoiseach, and a general election was held on 6 June. When the 28th Dáil met on 26 June, Bertie Ahern was nominated and appointed as Taoiseach and formed a Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition government.