Government of the 25th Dáil
| Government of the 25th Dáil | |
|---|---|
| 20th Government of Ireland | |
| Date formed | 10 March 1987 |
| Date dissolved | 12 July 1989 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of government | Charles Haughey |
| Deputy head of government | Brian Lenihan, Snr |
| Head of state | Patrick Hillery |
| Total number of ministers | 15 |
| Member parties | Fianna Fáil |
| Status in legislature | Minority Government |
| Opposition leader | Alan Dukes (Fine Gael) |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 1987 general election |
| Legislature term(s) | 25th Dáil |
| Predecessor | 19th Government of Ireland |
| Successor | 21st Government of Ireland |
The 25th Dáil was elected at the 1987 general election on 17 February 1987 and first met on 10 March when the 20th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 25th Dáil lasted 849 days.
The 20th Government of Ireland (10 March 1987 – 12 July 1989) was formed by the Fianna Fáil party. It was a minority government which had the qualified support of Fine Gael, the main opposition party. The national debt had doubled under the previous government. The government introduced budget cuts in all departments. The taxation system was also reformed. One of the major schemes put forward, and one which would have economic benefits for the country, was the establishment of the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Dublin. During this period the Government organised the 1,000-year anniversary of the founding of Dublin.
Following the appointment of Ray MacSharry as European Commissioner.
The 20th government passed three budgets through the 1987, 1988 and 1989 Finance Acts The Finance minister Ray MacSharry committed himself to bringing order to the public finances and the poor economic situation. His cutting of state spending earned him the nickname Mack the Knife.
During this time he came to be identified as Haughey's heir apparent as Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. MacSharry, however wanted to leave politics by the time he was forty-five. He was fifty and had achieved some of the highest offices in the Irish government. In 1988 MacSharry's was appointed European Commissioner. As a result of this he resigned his Dáil seat and ended his domestic political career.
The Minister for Industry and Commerce Albert Reynolds blocked the hostile takeover of Irish Distillers by Grand Metropolitan. The company was eventually sold to Pernod Ricard for $440 million.
During this period major industrial action was taken by Junior doctors. 1,800 doctors went on strike to protest their lack of job security and the governments cuts to the health budget.
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