Leader_of_the_Opposition_(Ireland)

Leader of the Opposition (Ireland)

Leader of the Opposition (Ireland)

Unofficial position in Dáil Éireann (Lower house of the Irish parliament)

The Leader of the Opposition (Irish: Ceannaire an Fhreasúra) in Ireland is a de facto term sometimes used to describe the politician who leads the largest party in the Parliamentary Opposition in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann. In the Dáil, the Leader of the Opposition sits on the right-hand side of the Ceann Comhairle and directly opposite the Taoiseach. The role is not an official one and is not recognised in the Irish constitution, nor in legislation.

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The Leader of the Opposition is, by convention, the leader of the largest political party in the Dáil that is not in government. Opposition leaders leading a political party with five members or more have full speaking rights under Dáil standing orders; smaller parties and independent politicians are allowed to speak less often.

Historically the two largest parties have nearly always been Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and so the position of Leader of the Opposition has alternated between them. However, immediately following Irish secession from the UK in 1922, the leader of the Labour Party acted as Leader of the Opposition as Sinn Féin, and later Fianna Fáil, refused to take their seats in Dáil Éireann. After the 2011 general election Fine Gael became the largest party in Dáil Éireann and the Labour Party for the first time became the second largest. However, since Labour and Fine Gael entered a coalition government, the third largest party, Fianna Fáil, led the opposition in the 31st Dáil.

To date there have been 18 Opposition Leaders, 10 of whom have served terms as Taoiseach. The current Leader of the Opposition is Mary Lou McDonald of the Sinn Féin party, following the opening of the 33rd Dáil on 27 June 2020. She is the first female Irish Opposition Leader and the first to come from a party other than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael since the Labour Party's Thomas Johnson in 1927.

Leaders of the Opposition

  • Leaders who later became Taoiseach are indicated in bold.
More information Name (Birth–Death), Portrait ...

Leaders of the second largest party in opposition

  • Leaders who later became Tánaiste are indicated in italics.
More information Name (Birth–Death), Portrait ...

See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    President of Dáil Éireann to 6 December 1922. President of the Executive Council to 29 December 1937.

References

  1. [1]
    "From leader of opposition to Taoiseach". Eolas Magazine. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2024. To date, of the 18 leaders of the opposition, 10 have gone on to lead a subsequent government as taoisigh. Namely, they are: Éamon de Valera; John A Costello; Liam Cosgrave; Jack Lynch; Garret FitzGerald; Charles Haughey; John Bruton; Bertie Ahern; Enda Kenny; and Micheál Martin. Opposition leaders that failed to ascend to the Office of An Taoiseach include Thomas Johnson; WT Cosgrave; Thomas F O'Higgins; Richard Mulcahy; James Dillon; Alan Dukes; and Michael Noonan. It remains to be seen whether the current and first ever female leader of the opposition, Mary Lou McDonald TD, will lead a future government.
  2. [2]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. p. 214. 9 January: resigns as President of Dáil Éireann but stands for re-election. 10 January: defeated in vote for Presidency by 60 votes to 58. He and all antiTreaty deputies walk out. Arthur Griffith elected President. Dáil adjourned to 11 February
  3. [3]
    "Introducing Ireland 1922: Independence, Partition, Civil War | Century Ireland". www.rte.ie. Retrieved 25 March 2024. Following weeks of intensive debate in Dáil Éireann, tensions over the Treaty (which also reflected broader divisions within the republican movement) were brought to breaking point on 7 January 1922 when the agreement was passed by sixty-four votes to fifty-seven. Under the terms of the Treaty, Michael Collins became chairman of the Provisional Government; the Irish Free State would not take legal effect until 6 December 1922. ... In May, Collins and de Valera agreed a pact to allow pro- and anti-Treaty Sinn Féin candidates to stand on a coalition ticket for the June 1922 general election. Anti-Treaty republicans were placated further with the promise of a 'republican' constitution. The final draft of the constitution, published on the morning of 16 June ('election day') following close inspection from the British government, adhered more closely to the terms of the Treaty than hoped. At the polls, pro-Treaty Sinn Féin secured 38% of the vote (58 seats) while anti-Treaty Sinn Féin secured 21% (36 seats). Contesting a general election for the first time, the Labour party secured an impressive 21% of the poll. Disillusioned by the failure to secure a republican constitution, and unwilling to swear the 'oath of allegiance', anti-Treaty Sinn Féin TDs refused to enter the Irish Free State parliament.
  4. [4]
    "Arthur Griffith President of Dáil Éireann". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 25 March 2024. On 10 January 1922 Arthur Griffith (1871-1922) became President of Dáil Éireann replacing Éamon de Valera who had resigned the previous day. Griffith remained as President until his untimely death in August 1922 when he was replaced by W.T. Cosgrave.
  5. [5]
    Mitchell, Arthur (1969). "Thomas Johnson, 1872-1963, a Pioneer Labour Leader". An Irish Quarterly Review. 58 (232). Messenger Publications: 396–404. JSTOR 30087891. In 1922 Johnson became the first leader of the opposition in the Free State
  6. [6]
    Farrell, Mel (2017). Party Politics in a New Democracy: The Irish Free State, 1922-37. Springer. p. 80. ISBN 9783319635859. Tom Johnson led the parliamentary opposition. During the first meeting of the third Dáil on 9 September, Labor promised to support Cosgrave in defending the Treaty settlement and the new state.
  7. [7]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. p. 28. 12 August: following the assassination of Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for External Affairs and Minister for Justice Kevin O'Higgins, and the introduction of a Bill requiring candidates in future Dáil elections to bind themselves in advance to take the admission oath prescribed by the Constitution, the Fianna Fáil deputies enter Dáil Éireann stating they regard the Oath of Allegiance as an empty political formula. De Valera becomes leader of the Opposition in the Dáil
  8. [8]
    Moore, Hayden (23 May 2019). "Rewind - Former Taoiseach WT Cosgrave". Echo.ie. Retrieved 24 March 2024. W.T. was to steer the country through the Civil-War – which the Pro-Treaty side won – and his Cumann na nGaedheal party was to remain in power until it lost the 1932 election to the Fianna Fail party which was formed six years earlier.
  9. [9]
    "Former Taoisigh". Government of Ireland. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  10. [10]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. p. 28. 9 March: following the general election in which Fianna Fáil secures 72 seats out of a total of 153, de Valera becomes President of the Executive Council with the support of Labour (7 seats); also acts as Minister for External Affairs
  11. [11]
    O'Halpin, Eunan. Cosgrave, William Thomas (PDF). Leader of the opposition 1932–44 Courteous as ever, in the aftermath of the traumatic election defeat he wrote to the celebrated rugby player Eugene Davy (qv), who had been persuaded to run as a Cumann na nGaedheal candidate in Dublin: 'I much regret that my anticipations were not realised – but I would like to assure you that I was firmly convinced you would win. Even now it appears that with a little more time better results would have been obtained' (Cosgrave to Eugene Davy, 24 Feb. 1932, letter in possession of the Davy family).
  12. [12]
    W.T. COSGRAVE PAPERS P285 (PDF). University College Dublin. 2015. p. 5. The general election of 1932 led to Fianna Fáil forming a minority government, their election results buoyed by their offering the electorate a manifesto based on social reform. Cosgrave led Cumann na nGaedheal in opposition, becoming the first leader of the new Fine Gael party when his party combined with the National Centre Party and the National Guard in 1933. He served as leader until 1944, when he retired
  13. [13]
    Moore, Hayden (23 May 2019). "Rewind - Former Taoiseach WT Cosgrave". Echo.ie. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Cosgrave was to remain as the leader of the opposition until he resigned from Dáil Eireann in January 1944.
  14. [14]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. p. 37. 18 February: Fianna Fáil Government replaced by a coalition Government led by John A. Costello, S.C., having secured only 68 seats out of a total of 147 in the General Election. De Valera becomes leader of the Opposition
  15. [15]
    "Author Search Results". catalogue.nli.ie. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Richard James Mulcahy (10 May 1886 – 16 December 1971) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and army general who served as Minister for Education from 1948 to 1951 and 1954 to 1957, Minister for the Gaeltacht from June 1956 to October 1956, Leader of the Opposition from 1944 to 1948, Leader of Fine Gael from 1944 to 1959, Minister for Local Government and Public Health from 1927 to 1932 and Minister for Defence from January to April 1919 and 1922 to 1924. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 to 1938 and from 1943 to 1961 and a Senator from March 1938 to June 1938 and 1943 to 1944.
  16. [16]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. 13 June: returned to office as Taoiseach, with 69 Dáil members out of 147 and the support of some independent deputies, following a General Election occasioned by the dispute in the inter-party Government concerning the mother and child health scheme
  17. [17]
    "John A Costello". RTE Radio. 8 February 1976. Retrieved 25 March 2024. The life and times of John A Costello of Fine Gael - Taoiseach from 1948-51 and 1954-57, Attorney General of Ireland from 1926-32, legal advisor to the government after independence ('22) and a successful barrister (Broadcast 1976)
  18. [18]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. p. 38. 1954 2 June: following a General Election (in which Fianna Fáil secured 65 out of 147 seats), John A. Costello forms his second inter-party Government. De Valera again leader of the Opposition
  19. [19]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. p. 38. 1957 20 March: Fianna Fáil having secured 78 seats out of 147, de Valera begins his last term of office as Taoiseach
  20. [20]
    EAMON DE VALERA PAPERS P150 (PDF). School of History and Archives. University College Dublin. 2005. p. 39. 23 June: resigns from office as Taoiseach and is succeeded by Seán Lemass
  21. [21]
    Mark (30 May 2019). "Rewind - Liam Cosgrave". Echo.ie. Retrieved 25 March 2024. When the second Inter-Party election was formed in 1954, Cosgrave was appointed to the key and crucial Minister of External Affairs position in cabinet (now known as the Minister for Foreign Affairs), and he was to lead Ireland's first ever delegation to the United Nations. In 1965 Fine Gael were now in opposition and many members and TD's deemed change at the top to be badly needed, and the former army captain was elected as the new leader of the opposition.
  22. [22]
    "RTÉ Archives | Liam Cosgrave". www.rte.ie. Retrieved 25 March 2024. William Michael (Liam) Cosgrave (1920-2017) was leader of the Fine Gael Party from 1965 to 1977. He served as Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977. He was a TD from 1943 to 1981.
  23. [23]
    "Minister: Jack Lynch". Irish State Administration Database. Retrieved 24 March 2024. John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, Minister for Finance from 1965 to 1966, Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1959 to 1965, Minister for Education 1957 to 1959, Minister for the Gaeltacht from March 1957 to June 1957, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands and Parliamentary Secretary to the Government from 1951 to 1954.
  24. [24]
    "Charles Haughey, 4 times Ireland's PM, dies". NBC News. 13 June 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Garret FitzGerald, leader of the opposition Fine Gael party, in 1979 accused Haughey of "an overweening ambition ... a wish to dominate, even to own, the state."
  25. [25]
    "Garret FitzGerald | Royal Irish Academy". Royal Irish Academy. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Garret FitzGerald served twice as Taoiseach of Ireland (July 1981 to February 1982; December 1982 to March 1987).
  26. [26]
    "GUBU: a Taoiseach, a murderer and a political scandal". RTÉ. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2024. O'Brien coined the acronym GUBU from the adjectives of Haughey's words 'grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented', said during a press conference in August 1982, in which the Taoiseach tried to explain why murder suspect Malcolm Macarthur was arrested in the apartment of the Irish Attorney general Patrick Connolly.
  27. [27]
    "MR HAUGHEY'S FINANCES JANUARY, 1987 – 8 JANUARY, 1991". Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Payments to Politicians and Related Matters - Part I (PDF). Dublin: Government of Ireland. 2006. p. 169. ISBN 0-7557-7459-0. In January, 1987 Mr. Haughey was leader of the opposition. There was a General Election on 17th February, 1987 and the Fianna Fail Party won the Election and formed the new Government. Mr. Haughey was elected Taoiseach on 10th March, 1987 and he continued in office until 11th February, 1992 when he resigned as both Taoiseach and leader of the Fianna Fail Party. Mr. Haughey continued as a back bench TD until November, 1992.
  28. [28]
    Mervyn Taylor Papers (PDF). National Library of Ireland. 2009. p. 7. The 27th Dáil - After the 1992 General Election the Labour Party initially entered talks with Fine Gael and the Progressive Democrats to form a government. After the collapse of these talks, Fianna Fáil and Labour went on to form the 23rd Government of Ireland, (12 January 1993 – 15 December 1994), with Albert Reynolds taking the Office of Taoiseach. In 1994 Albert Reynolds appointed the Former Attorney General, Harry Whelehan SC as president of the High Court. The appointment of Whelehan was surrounded in controversy following his alleged mishandling of an RUC extradition request for Father Brendan Smyth over allegations of sexual abuse when he was Attorney General. This prompted Dick Spring, Labour Party leader and his ministers to withdraw from the Government. Reynolds retired as leader of Fianna Fáil and was succeeded by the then Minister for Finance, Bertie Ahern. Discussions to reform the coalition collapsed when it was discovered that Ahern had been more aware of aspects of the scandal than had previously been known. The 24th Government of Ireland (15 December 1994 – 26 June 1997) was formed by the 'Rainbow Alliance' of Fine Gael, Labour, and the Democratic Left. This was the first time that an Irish government had been formed without a general election. The Fianna Fáil/Labour programme for government remained substantially in place, with John Bruton, the Fine Gael leader becoming Taoiseach.
  29. [29]
    "Ireland past, present and future, with former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern | St Catharine's College, Cambridge". www.caths.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2024. In November 1994 he was elected leader of his party Fianna Fáil and served as Leader of the Opposition from then until June 1997. He was first elected Taoiseach (Prime Minister) in June 1997, he was re-elected in June 2002 and again in May 2007.
  30. [30]
    McCullagh, David (6 February 2024). "John Bruton: An original thinker with strong opinions". RTÉ. Retrieved 24 March 2024. With the economy growing rapidly, and unemployment and government debt falling, the Rainbow faced the June 1997 election with some confidence. But Fine Gael seat gains couldn't make up for significant Labour losses, and John Bruton once again became leader of the opposition. Facing a popular government benefitting from an economic boom, Fine Gael lost ground in opinion polls, and once again turned on its leader. He survived a motion of no confidence in November 2000, but just two months later, another leadership challenge was mounted – this time successfully.
  31. [31]
    O'Brien, Jason (18 June 2010). "The different shades of blue that led the way". Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 March 2024. A current TD, Noonan served as leader only from February 2001 to June 2002. Following some poor election results in the late 1990s, he tabled a motion of no confidence in Bruton and was successful in taking over as leader of the opposition. However, Fine Gael had a disastrous result at the 2002 General Election -- dropping from 54 to 31 seats -- and the Limerickman resigned as leader on the night of the results.
  32. [32]
    Fitzgerald, Aine. "Political 'legend' Michael Noonan honoured by Limerick County Council". www.limerickleader.ie. Retrieved 24 March 2024. He also was appointed leader of Fine Gael and leader of the Opposition in 2001.
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    "Enda an era - 100 days of the new Irish government". BBC News. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2024. As leader of the Opposition in the Irish parliament since 2002, he was the archetypal safe pair of hands. Competent, yes. Experienced, yes. Inspirational, no.
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    "Enda Kenny Elected Taoiseach". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 24 March 2024. On 9 March 2011, Enda Kenny accepted his seal of office as Taoiseach at Áras an Uachtaráin from President Mary McAleese
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    "FF at 90: the party that shaped our past and covets the future". Irish Independent. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Brian Cowen becomes Taoiseach in May 2008, coinciding with the economic and banking collapse.
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    McCurry, Cate (26 June 2020). "Micheal Martin: Ex-teacher who became long-serving Fianna Fail leader". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is a former teacher from Co Cork who has served as leader of the Opposition in Ireland since March 2011.
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    "Micheál Martin elected as Ireland's new prime minister". POLITICO. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
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    "Leo Varadkar". www.gov.ie. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2024. First elected Taoiseach in June 2017, Mr Varadkar was a member of Fingal County Council (2003-2007) and elected to Dáil Éireann for the Dublin West constituency on his first attempt in 2007 and was re-elected to a fourth term in 2020.
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    Webber, Jude (9 March 2024). "Irish voters reject constitutional referendums on women and the family". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 March 2024. The government "didn't convince", said Mary Lou McDonald, leader of opposition party Sinn Féin that opinion polls show is the most popular in Ireland and which backed a "yes/yes" vote.
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    O'Halloran, Marie (27 June 2020). "Micheál Martin to prioritise fight against Covid-19 as leaders react". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 March 2024. In her address as leader of the opposition, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald criticised Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and claimed they were colluding to deny Sinn Féin a place in government and frustrating the will of the people.
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    Bray, Jennifer; Horgan-Jones, Jack (17 December 2022). "As it happened: Leo Varadkar becomes Taoiseach and announces new Cabinet". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Leo Varadkar will be elected Taoiseach for the second time today, as the three-party Coalition Government moves into its second and final phase, accompanied by what is expected to be a minimal reshuffling of Cabinet positions.
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    "Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Party Leaders' Remuneration – Dáil Éireann (14th Dáil) – Thursday, 8 Nov 1951 – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie. 8 November 1951. Retrieved 25 March 2024. Mr. S. Brady: "Is the Minister aware that, when this Bill was under discussion, Deputy Norton said that, under no consideration, would he ever touch a penny of this money?" ... Mr. MacEntee: "I think all that requires an answer. Deputy Brady did not sling any mud. He simply drew attention to the fact that a person applied and, in my view, quite rightly applied for this allowance as leader of the second largest Party in Opposition in this House. This person made a statement which, on mature consideration, he found to be unwise and, indeed, a statement which was contrary to the public interest."
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