1980s

In 1980, the Taoiseach Charles Haughey appointed him Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture. Smith lost his Dáil seat again at the February 1982 general election, and failed to regain it at the November 1982 general election. He spent the next five years as a Senator in Seanad Éireann, elected first by the Agricultural Panel and then by the Cultural and Educational Panel, before his re-election to the Dáil at the 1987 general election.

When Smith was returned to the Dáil in 1987, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Energy. He was appointed to cabinet as the Minister for Energy in 1988. His stay in cabinet was brief; following the 1989 general election he was demoted to Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce.

1992–2007

In February 1992, he returned to cabinet for two years as Minister for the Environment.^[3][4] He held office until Fianna Fáil left government in December 1994.

After the 1997 election, Fianna Fáil returned to government and Smith was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science.^[5] In October 1997, he replaced David Andrews as Minister for Defence, and held that position until he was dropped from the cabinet in a reshuffle in 2004.^[6][7] During his tenure Smith dealt with the Army deafness compensation issue that ultimately resulted in claims of €300 million against the State.

At the 2007 general election he lost his seat to Noel Coonan of Fine Gael.