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| Percentage of seats gained by each of the three major parties, and number of seats gained by smaller parties and independents. |
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The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.
The general election took place in 41 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 165 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann.
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The 1997 general election saw the public offered a choice of two possible coalitions. The existing government coalition of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left – the so-called "Rainbow Coalition". This, in very broad terms could be described as a centre left coalition. It was opposed by a coalition of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, which most Irish commentators regarded as a centre right coalition.
Following the election none of the major parties had a clear majority. A Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition was the result of various negotiations. Four Independent Teachta Dála (TDs) also supported the government ensuring an overall majority. Bertie Ahern became the Taoiseach while Mary Harney of the Progressive Democrats became Tánaiste.
Although Fine Gael increased its number of deputies but crossed the Dáil chamber to the Opposition benches. Fianna Fáil increased seat numbers, but the Progressive Democrats had a disastrous election, losing more than half of its seats, including ones thought safe such as Cork North Central and Dún Laoghaire, despite no decrease in its vote. The Green Party picked up an extra seat, with John Gormley elected in Dublin South East. He was elected by just over 30 votes after a marathon recount lasting 4 days saw Progressive Democrat Michael McDowell defeated. The main feature of the election, however, was the collapse of the Labour Party vote - not only did they lose seats they had picked up in the 1992 general election, when their vote was an at all-time high, such as in Clare and Laois–Offaly, but they also lost reasonably safe Labour Party seats, such as in Dublin North, Dublin Central and Cork South Central. Dick Spring would late retire as leader of the Labour Party. Democratic Left also suffered; losing its two gains made in the by-elections. Sinn Féin won a seat for the first time since 1957 in the Cavan–Monaghan constituency with Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. It also narrowly missed a seat in Kerry North. The Socialist Party, a Trotskyist party which consisted of former members of the Labour Party expelled in 1989, gained a seat in the Dublin West constituency.
| Party | Leader | Seats | ± | % of seats |
First Pref votes |
% FPv | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | Bertie Ahern | 77 | +9 | 46.4 | 703,682 | 39.3 | +0.2 | |
| Fine Gael | John Bruton | 54 | +9 | 32.5 | 499,936 | 27.9 | +3.4 | |
| Labour Party | Dick Spring | 17 | –16 | 10.2 | 186,044 | 10.4 | –8.9 | |
| Progressive Democrats | Mary Harney | 4 | –6 | 2.4 | 83,765 | 4.7 | ±0.0 | |
| Green Party | N/A | 2 | +1 | 1.2 | 49,323 | 2.8 | +1.4 | |
| Sinn Féin | Gerry Adams[3] | 1 | +1 | 0.6 | 45,614 | 2.5 | +0.9 | |
| Democratic Left | Proinsias De Rossa | 4 | ±0 | 2.4 | 44,901 | 2.5 | –0.3 | |
| National Party | Nora Bennis | 0 | New | 0 | 19,077 | 1.1 | New | |
| Socialist Party | Joe Higgins | 1 | New | 0.6 | 12,445 | 0.7 | New | |
| Christian Solidarity | Gerard Casey | 0 | New | 0 | 8,357 | 0.5 | New | |
| Workers' Party | Tom French | 0 | ±0 | 0 | 7,808 | 0.4 | –0.3 | |
| Socialist Workers | N/A | 0 | New | 0 | 2,028 | 0.1 | New | |
| Natural Law Party | N/A | 0 | New | 0 | 1,515 | 0.1 | New | |
| South Kerry Independent | 0 | New | 0 | 1,388 | 0.1 | New | ||
| Independent | N/A | 6 | +2 | 3.6 | 123,102 | 7.9 | +1.1 | |
| Spoilt votes | 17,947 | — | — | |||||
| Total | 166 | 0 | 100 | 1,806,932 | 100 | — | ||
| Electorate/Turnout | 2,741,262 | 76.5% | — | |||||
The outgoing Ceann Comhairle retired at this election. Independents include Independent Fianna Fáil (11,607 votes, 1 seat).
The following changes took place as a result of the election:
Outgoing TDs are listed in the constituency they constested in the election. For some, such as Kildare North, this differs from the constituency they represented in the outgoing Dáil. Where more than one change took place in a constituency the concept of successor is an approximation for presentation only.
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