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 1982-1987

Deep economic recession dominated FitzGerald's second term as well as his first. The pursuit of ?fiscal rectitude? in order to reduce a high national debt required a firmer control of public spending than Labour found easy to accept. The harmonious relationship the Taoiseach developed with Tánaiste, Dick Spring, successfully avoided a collapse of the coalition for more than four years, despite tensions between other ministers, and enabled a rational economic policy to evolve.

Related Topics:
Taoiseach - Tánaiste - Dick Spring

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Constitutional Reform

As Taoiseach for a second time FitzGerald advocated a liberalisation of Irish society, to create what he called the non-sectarian nation of 'Tone and Davis'. His attempt to introduce divorce was defeated in a referendum, though he did liberalise Ireland's contraception laws. A controversial ''Pro-Life Amendment' (anti-abortion clause), which was stated to recognise the 'Right to Life of the Unborn, with due regard to the Equal Right to Life of the Mother' was added to the Irish constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, against FitzGerald's advice, in a national referendum.

Related Topics:
Tone - Davis - 'Pro-Life Amendment' - Bunreacht na hÉireann

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Northern Ireland

Perhaps FitzGerald?s most dramatic achievement as Taoiseach was in regard to Northern Ireland. The New Ireland Forum which he set up in 1983 brought together representatives of the constitutional political parties in the Republic and the nationalist SDLP from the North. Although the unionist parties spurned his invitation to join, and the Forum?s conclusions proposing various forms of association between Northern Ireland and the Republic were rejected outright by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the Forum provided the impetus for the resumption of serious negotiations between the Irish and British governments, which culminated in the Anglo-Irish Agreement of November 1985, which many believe came about as a result of the Brighton bombing in which Mrs. Thatcher was almost killed, and in which at least five people died. This agreement provided for a mechanism by which the Republic of Ireland could be consulted by the British Government under Margaret Thatcher regarding the governance of Northern Ireland, and was bitterly opposed by unionists in Northern Ireland, whose MPs all resigned their seats in the British Parliament in protest. New elections were required to be held, and the unionists lost one seat (South Down) to Eddie McGrady of the SDLP.

Related Topics:
Taoiseach - Northern Ireland - SDLP - Unionist - Margaret Thatcher - British - Anglo-Irish Agreement - Brighton bombing - Republic of Ireland - British Parliament - South Down - Eddie McGrady

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While the Agreement was repudiated and condemned by unionists, it became the basis for developing trust and common action between the governments, which in time would ultimately bring about the Downing Street Declaration of 1993, and the subsequent republican and loyalist cease-fires.

Related Topics:
Republican - Loyalist

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In January 1987, the Labour Party members of the government withdrew from the government over disagreements due to budget proposals. FitzGerald continued as Taoiseach heading a minority Fine Gael government until Fianna Fáil returned to power in March 1987, after Fine Gael were heavily defeated. FitzGerald took the extraordinary step of announcing that Fine Gael would support Fianna Fáil in government if they adopted sensible economic policies.

Related Topics:
Labour Party - Fine Gael - Fianna Fáil

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