Garret FitzGerald

Dr. Garret FitzGerald (Irish name: Gearóid MacGearailt) (born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála in 1969. He previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1973 to 1977. FitzGerald was the leader of Fine Gael between 1977 and 1987. He is also the son of Desmond FitzGerald who was the first Minister for External Affairs of the new Irish state. At present FitzGerald is the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland. He is credited as being the most successful leader of the modern Fine Gael party.

Taoiseach 1981-1982

By the time of the general election in 1981 Fine Gael had a party machine that could easily match Fianna Fáil's. The party won 65 seats and formed a minority coalition government with the Labour Party and the support of a number of Independent TDs. FitzGerald was elected Taoiseach on June 30, 1981.

Related Topics:
1981 - Fianna Fáil - Labour Party - Taoiseach - June 30

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

FitzGerald showed an unsuspected toughness in naming a young and innovative Cabinet. Richie Ryan, Richard Burke and Tom O'Donnell, former Fine Gael stalwarts, were all excluded. Two fundamental problems faced FitzGerald during his first period, Northern Ireland and the worsening economic situation. A protest march in support of the H-Block hunger strikers in July 1981 was dealt with by FitzGerald through a combination of firmness and restraint.

Related Topics:
Richie Ryan - Richard Burke - Tom O'Donnell - Northern Ireland - H-Block - Hunger strikers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The economic crisis was also a lot worse than FitzGerald had feared. Fine Gael had to jettison its plans for tax-cuts in the run-up to the election and a draconian mid-year budget was introduced almost immediately. The July Budget seemed exceptionally austere for a government dependent on Independent TDs support. However the second budget introduced by John Bruton led to the Government's shock defeat in Dáil Éireann on the evening of January 27, 1982.

Related Topics:
John Bruton - Dáil Éireann - January 27 - 1982

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Viewing his defeat as a Loss of Supply FitzGerald headed to Áras an Uachtaráin to request an immediate Dáil dissolution from President Hillery. When he got there, he was informed that a series of telephone calls had been made by senior opposition figures (and some independent TDs, including Fianna Fáil leader (and ex-Taoiseach) Charles J. Haughey, Brian Lenihan and Sylvester Barret demanding that the President, as he could constitutionally do where a Taoiseach had 'ceased to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann', refuse FitzGerald a parliamentary dissolution, forcing his resignation as taoiseach and enabling the Dáil to nominate someone else for the post. The President angrily rejected such pressure, regarding it as gross misconduct, and granted the dissolution. (These events came back to haunt one of the alleged callers, Brian Lenihan, when his differing accounts of his role that night led to his dismissal from Haughey's cabinet in 1990 during his own unsuccessful presidential election campaign.)

Related Topics:
Loss of Supply - Áras an Uachtaráin - President Hillery - Charles J. Haughey - Brian Lenihan - Sylvester Barret - Dáil Éireann

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the subsequent general election Fine Gael lost only two seats and were out of power. However, a third general election within eighteen months in November 1982 resulted in FitzGerald being returned as Taoiseach for a second time, heading a Fine Gael-Labour coalition with a working majority.

Related Topics:
Fine Gael - 1982 - Taoiseach

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~