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.
20th Government of Ireland
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.
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.
During this period a large number of haemophiliacs contracted HIV and Hepatitis C from contaminated blood products supplied by the Blood Transfusion Service Board.
In 1988 the Irish Prison officers association went on strike. The government had to use 1,000 Gardaí and 300 soldiers to guard the prisons.
Northern Ireland
During this period the government faced serious difficulties dealing with Northern Ireland and the IRA. After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement Relations improved between the Republic and Britain. However, there were tensions between the governments over the imprisonment of the Birmingham six and the apparent shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland policy of the security forces in Northern Ireland. Formal protest was made by the government following the Loughgall Ambush where eight IRA members and a civilian were killed by a SAS unit.
Relations improved with the extradition of Paul Kane. His appeal to the justice minister for freedom was rejected. Kane escaped from the Maze Prison in 1983 after being convicted of firearm offences.
During this period the IRA managed to smuggle a gun into the Four Courts in an attempted prison escape.
On 26 May 1987 the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland was approved by referendum. This permitted the state to ratify the Single European Act.
No. 2/1987 – Social Welfare Act, 1987
No. 3/1987 – Health (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 4/1987 – Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 5/1987 – Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 6/1987 – Air Pollution Act, 1987
No. 7/1987 – Agriculture (An Chomhairle Oiliúna Talmhaíochta) Act, 1987
No. 8/1987 – Defence (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 9/1987 – Gas (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 10/1987 – Finance Act, 1987
No. 11/1987 – Tourist Traffic Act, 1987
No. 12/1987 – Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 13/1987 – Export Promotion (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 14/1987 – Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 15/1987 – Labour Services Act, 1987
No. 16/1987 – Urban Renewal (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 17/1987 – National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 18/1987 – Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) Act, 1987
No. 19/1987 – Local Loans Fund (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 20/1987 – International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs Act, 1987
No. 21/1987 – Shipping Investment Grants Act, 1987
No. 22/1987 – Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta Act, 1987
No. 23/1987 – Restrictive Practices (Confirmation of Order) Act, 1987
No. 24/1987 – Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 25/1987 – Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 26/1987 – Status of Children Act, 1987
No. 27/1987 – Transport Act, 1987
No. 28/1987 – Control of Clinical Trials Act, 1987
No. 29/1987 – Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1987
No. 30/1987 – Science and Technology Act, 1987
No. 31/1987 – Restrictive Practices (Amendment) Act, 1987
No. 32/1987 – Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1987
No. 33/1987 – Appropriation Act, 1987
No. 34/1987 – Dublin Transport Authority (Dissolution) Act, 1987
Constitutional Amendments
Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1987
No. 1/1988 – Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Act, 1988
No. 2/1988 – Valuation Act, 1988
No. 3/1988 – Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments (European Communities) Act, 1988
No. 4/1988 – B & I Line Act, 1988
No. 5/1988 – International Development Association (Amendment) Act, 1988
No. 6/1988 – Agricultural Credit Act, 1988
No. 7/1988 – Social Welfare Act, 1988
No. 8/1988 – Abattoirs Act, 1988
No. 9/1988 – Maritime Jurisdiction (Amendment) Act, 1988
No. 10/1988 – Customs and Excise (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1988
No. 11/1988 – Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) Act, 1988
No. 12/1988 – Finance Act, 1988
No. 13/1988 – Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Act, 1988
No. 14/1988 – Courts Act, 1988
No. 15/1988 – Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988
No. 16/1988 – Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1988
No. 17/1988 – Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1988
No. 18/1988 – Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act, 1988
No. 19/1988 – Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1988
No. 20/1988 – Radio and Television Act, 1988
No. 21/1988 – European Communities (Funding) Act, 1988
No. 22/1988 – Insurance (Export Guarantees) Act, 1988
No. 23/1988 – Córas Beostoic agus Feola (Amendment) Act, 1988
No. 24/1988 – Tobacco (Health Promotion and Protection) Act, 1988
No. 25/1988 – Data Protection Act, 1988
No. 26/1988 – Forestry Act, 1988
No. 27/1988 – Bankruptcy Act, 1988
No. 28/1988 – Housing Act, 1988
No. 29/1988 – Local Government (Multi-Storey Buildings) Act, 1988
No. 30/1988 – Adoption Act, 1988
No. 31/1988 – Family Law Act, 1988
No. 32/1988 – Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Act, 1988
No. 33/1988 – Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust Act, 1988
No. 34/1988 – Courts (No. 2) Act, 1988
No. 35/1988 – Appropriation Act, 1988
No. 1/1989 – Garda Síochána Act, 1989
No. 2/1989 – Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act, 1989
No. 3/1989 – Insurance Act, 1989
No. 4/1989 – Social Welfare Act, 1989
No. 5/1989 – Jurisdiction of Courts (Maritime Conventions) Act, 1989
No. 6/1989 – Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989
No. 7/1989 – Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989
No. 8/1989 – Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1989
No. 9/1989 – Bord na gCapall (Dissolution) Act, 1989
No. 10/1989 – Finance Act, 1989
No. 11/1989 – An Blascaod Mór National Historic Park Act, 1989
No. 12/1989 – Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1989
No. 13/1989 – Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited (Amendment) Act, 1989
No. 14/1989 – University of Limerick Act, 1989
No. 15/1989 – Dublin City University Act, 1989
No. 16/1989 – Central Bank Act, 1989
No. 17/1989 – Building Societies Act, 1989
