Chamber:
	Dáil Éireann - House of Representatives
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	25 November 1992
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the elective seats to Parliament following the premature dissolution of this body on 5 November 1992. Dáil and Seanad elections were previously held in June and August 1989, respectively.
Background and outcome of elections:
	Following a split in the ruling Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition over allegations of wrong-doing in the country’s beef industry, and Prime Minister Albert Reynolds’ defeat in a no-confidence motion in Parliament on 5 November 1992, early general elections were announced for 25 November. It was also announced that three referendums on abortion, which had been scheduled to take place in December, would now be held on the same day as the general elections. Candidates were fielded by all the major political parties including the largest (Fianna Fáil), Fine Gael, the Labour Party, the Progressive Democrats and the Democratic Left. Independent candidates were also in the running. The election campaign was dominated by abortion and economic (and social) issues. Unemployment was riding high at 20% while the Irish currency was facing a serious crisis. The Government’s management of the economy came under strong criticism from the opposition. Polling results for the House of Representatives showed that the centre-right Fianna Fáil (”Warriors of Destiny”) lost ground, dropping nine seats. Fine Gael also performed poorly, winning only 45 seats, down from the 55 it had held in the previous House. The Labour Party, for its part, made the strongest showing in its history, more than doubling its number of seats. The centrist Progressive Democrats also increased their strength. Prime Minister Reynolds and his Fianna Fáil party were generally considered to be the main losers in the elections while the Labour Party and its leader, Mr. Dick Spring, became the power brokers as a result of their impressive score. Women also made their strongest showing in the country’s 70-year independence history, picking up 20 seats, up from 13 in the previous House. Subsequent to an extended period of consultations, Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party, on !2 January 1993, formed a coalition Government in which Prime Minister Reynolds retained his post while that of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs went to Mr. Spring. These joined forces resulted in one of the biggest Dáil majorities ever. The senatorial elections that subsequently took place on 1 February 1993 confirmed the trends that had been noticed in the November elections, with the Fianna Fáil losing 13 seats while Fine Gael and the Labour Party both increased their shares.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (25 November 1992): Elections results
Number of registered electors	2,557,036
Voters	1,751,351 (68.49%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers	26,498
Valid votes	1,724,853

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%
Fianna Fáil	122	674,650	39.11
Fine Gael	91	422,106	24.47
Labour Party	42	333,013	19.31
Progressive Democrats	20	80,787	4.68
Democratic Left	20	47,945	2.78
Others	186	166,352	9.65

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
Fianna Fáil	68	-9
Fine Gael	45	-10
Labour Party	33	+18
Progressive Democrats	10	+4
Democratic Left	4	+4
Others	6	-7

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	146
Women:	20