Irish general election, 1992

Irish general election, 1992

← 1989 25 November 1992 1997 →
← outgoing members TDs elected →
165 of 166 seats in Dáil Éireann 84 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout	68.5%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Albert Reynolds John Bruton Dick Spring Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Party Leader since 6 February 1992 20 November 1990 November 1982 Leader's seat Longford–Roscommon Meath Kerry North Last election 77 seats, 44.2% 55 seats, 29.2% 15 seats, 9.5% Seats won 68 45 33 Seat change 9 10 18 Popular vote 674,650 422,106 333,013 Percentage 39.1% 24.5% 19.3% Swing 5.1% 4.7% 9.8%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Desmond O'Malley Proinsias De Rossa — Party Progressive Democrats Democratic Left Green Party Leader since 21 December 1985 1992 — Leader's seat Limerick East Dublin North-West — Last election 6 seats, 5.5% New 1 seat, 1.5% Seats won 10 4 1 Seat change 4 New 0 Popular vote 80,787 47,945 24,110 Percentage 4.7% 2.8% 1.4% Swing 0.8% New 0.1%
Percentage of seats gained by each of the five biggest parties, and number of seats gained by smaller parties and independents.
Taoiseach before election Albert Reynolds Fianna Fáil Subsequent Taoiseach Albert Reynolds Fianna Fáil

Albert Reynolds
Fianna Fáil

Albert Reynolds
Fianna Fáil

The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. The newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 14 December 1992, but a new Taoiseach was not elected. A new Fianna Fáil-Labour Party coalition government was not appointed until 12 January 1993 after Albert Reynolds was re-elected Taoiseach.

The general election took place in 41 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann.

The general election of 1992 was precipitated by the collapse of the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition government. Allegations of dishonesty at the Beef Tribunal forced Desmond O'Malley and his party to part ways with Albert Reynolds's Fianna Fáil. Both Albert Reynolds and John Bruton of Fine Gael were fighting their first general election as leader of their respective parties. For Reynolds it would be his only election as leader. The campaign went very poorly for Fianna Fáil with Reynolds's support dropping by 20%.

Among the left, the Labour Party had increased their support in the local elections the previous year and many were predicting major gains for the party in the Dáil. The Workers' Party of Ireland had split at a special convention that year over a motion to re-constitute the party, similar to the move made the same year by the Italian Communist Party, and sever all links with the Official IRA. Six out of their seven TD's and a majority of their councillors left the party when the motion failed to be passed and hastily formed Democratic Left to contest the election.