Irish general election, 2011

Irish general election, 2011

2007 ← 25 February 2011 → 2016

outgoing members ← → TDs elected

165 of 166 seats in Dáil Éireann 84 seats were needed for a majority Turnout 69.9%   First party Second party Third party   Leader Enda Kenny Eamon Gilmore Micheál Martin Party Fine Gael Labour Party Fianna Fáil Leader since 2 June 2002 6 September 2007 26 January 2011 Leader's seat Mayo Dún Laoghaire Cork South-Central Last election 51 seats, 27.3% 20 seats, 10.1% 77 seats, 41.6% Seats before 51 20 71 Seats won 76 37 20 Seat change 25 17 51 Popular vote 801,628 431,796 387,358 Percentage 36.1% 19.4% 17.4% Swing 8.8% 9.3% 24.2%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Gerry Adams — — Party Sinn Féin Socialist Party People Before Profit Leader since 13 November 1983 — — Leader's seat Louth — — Last election 4 seats, 6.9% 0 seats, 0.6% 0 seats, 0.4% Seats before 5 0 0 Seats won 14 2 2 Seat change 9 2 2 Popular vote 220,661 26,770 21,551 Percentage 9.9% 1.2% 1.0% Swing 3.0% 0.6% 0.6%   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Séamus Healy John Gormley Party Workers and Unemployed Action Green Party Leader since 1985 17 July 2007 Leader's seat Tipperary South Dublin South-East (defeated) Last election 0 seats, 0.3% 6 seats, 4.7% Seats before 0 6 Seats won 1 0 Seat change 1 6 Popular vote 8,818 41,039 Percentage 0.4% 1.8% Swing 0.1% 2.9%

Percentage of seats gained by each of the five biggest parties, and number of seats gained by smaller parties and independents.

Taoiseach before election Brian Cowen Fianna Fáil Subsequent Taoiseach Enda Kenny Fine Gael

Brian Cowen
Fianna Fáil

Enda Kenny
Fine Gael

The Irish general election of 2011 took place on Friday 25 February to elect 165 Teachtaí Dála across 43 constituencies to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of Ireland's parliament, the Oireachtas. The Dáil was dissolved and the general election called by President Mary McAleese on 1 February, at the request of Taoiseach Brian Cowen. The electorate was given the task of choosing the members of the 31st Dáil, who met on 9 March 2011 to nominate a Taoiseach and ratify the ministers of the Government of the 31st Dáil.

Cowen had previously announced on 20 January that the election would be held on 11 March, and that after the 2011 budget had been passed he would seek a dissolution of the 30th Dáil by the President. However, the Green Party, the junior party in coalition government with Cowen's Fianna Fáil, withdrew from government on 23 January, stating that they would support only a truncated finance bill from the opposition benches in order to force an earlier election. On 24 January, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, Jnr reached an agreement with the opposition in Dáil Éireann to complete all stages of passing the finance bill, in both houses of the Oireachtas, by 29 January—following which the Dáil was to be dissolved immediately. Constitutionally, an election must be held within 30 days after a Dáil dissolution.

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