Government of the 29th Dáil

The Government of the 29th Dáil or the 26th Government of Ireland (6 June 2002 – 14 June 2007) was the government of Ireland formed after the 2002 general election which had been held on 17 May 2002. It was led by Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach, with Progressive Democrats leader Mary Harney as Tánaiste. It was the first, and to date only, coalition government to be returned to government after an election; both parties increased their number of seats, and together secured a Dáil majority, where in the previous government they had governed together as a minority government dependent on the support of Independent TDs.

Government of the 29th Dáil
26th Government of Ireland
Date formed	6 June 2002 (2002-06-06)
Date dissolved	14 June 2007 (2007-06-14)
People and organisations
President	Mary McAleese
Taoiseach	Bertie Ahern
Tánaiste	Mary Harney (2002–06) Michael McDowell (2006–07)
Total no. of members	15
Member parties	Fianna Fáil Progressive Democrats
Status in legislature	Coalition
Opposition party	Fine Gael
Opposition leader	Enda Kenny
History
Election(s)	2002 general election
Legislature term(s)	29th Dáil 22nd Seanad
Predecessor	25th Government
Successor	27th Government

The 26th Government lasted for 1834 days.

26th Government of Ireland

Nomination of Taoiseach

The members of the 29th Dáil first met on 6 June. In the debate on the nomination of Taoisech, outgoing Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Labour Party leader Ruairi Quinn, and Green Party leader Trevor Sargent were each proposed. Ahern received the nomination of the Dáil.[1] Ahern was then re-appointed as Taoiseach by President Mary McAleese.[2]

6 June 2002 Nomination of Taoiseach vote for Bertie Ahern (FF)[1] Motion proposed by Charlie McCreevy and seconded by Mary Harney Absolute majority: 84/166
Vote	Parties	Votes
Y Yes	Fianna Fáil (80), Progressive Democrats (8), Independent (5)	93 / 166
No	Fine Gael (31), Labour Party (21), Green Party (6), Sinn Féin (5), Independent (4), Socialist Party (1)	68 / 166
Not voting	Independent (4), Ceann Comhairle (1)	5 / 166

Members of the Government

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Bertie Ahern proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil.[2] They were appointed by the president on the same day.[3]

Office	Name	Term	Party
Taoiseach	Bertie Ahern	2002–07		Fianna Fáil
Tánaiste	Mary Harney	2002–06		Progressive Democrats
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment		2002–04
Minister for Finance	Charlie McCreevy	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Defence	Michael Smith	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture and Food[lower-alpha 1]	Joe Walsh	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Foreign Affairs	Brian Cowen	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Education and Science	Noel Dempsey	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources[lower-alpha 2]	Dermot Ahern	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism[lower-alpha 3]	John O'Donoghue	2002–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Health and Children	Micheál Martin	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Transport[lower-alpha 4]	Séamus Brennan	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform	Michael McDowell	2002–07		Progressive Democrats
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government[lower-alpha 5]	Martin Cullen	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs[lower-alpha 6]	Éamon Ó Cuív	2002–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Social and Family Affairs[lower-alpha 7]	Mary Coughlan	2002–04		Fianna Fáil
Changes 29 September 2004 Following the nomination of Charlie McCreevy as European Commissioner and the retirement of Michael Smith and Joe Walsh.[11][12]
Office	Name	Term	Party
Minister for Health and Children	Mary Harney	2004–07		Progressive Democrats
Minister for Finance	Brian Cowen	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources	Noel Dempsey	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Foreign Affairs	Dermot Ahern	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Micheál Martin	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Social and Family Affairs	Séamus Brennan	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Transport	Martin Cullen	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture and Food	Mary Coughlan	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Education and Science	Mary Hanafin	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Defence	Willie O'Dea	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government	Dick Roche	2004–07		Fianna Fáil
Changes 13 September 2006 Following the resignation of Mary Harney as leader of the Progressive Democrats and the election of Michael McDowell.[13]
Office	Name	Term	Party
Tánaiste	Michael McDowell	2006–07		Progressive Democrats

Changes to departments

1. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development was renamed the Department of Agriculture and Food on 19 June 2002.[4]
2. The Department of Marine and Natural Resources was renamed the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources on 19 June 2002.[5]
3. The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation was renamed the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism on 19 June 2002.[6]
4. The Department of Public Enterprise was renamed the Department of Transport on 19 June 2002.[7]
5. The Department of Environment and Local Government was renamed the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government on 10 June 2003.[8]
6. The Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and The Islands was renamed the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on 19 June 2002.[9]
7. The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs was renamed the Department of Social and Family Affairs on 19 June 2002.[10]

Attorney General

Rory Brady SC was appointed by the president as Attorney General on the nomination of the Taoiseach.[2][3]

Ministers of State

On 6 June 2002, the Government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed Mary Hanafin to the post of Minister for State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip and Dick Roche, the position of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for European Affairs.[2] On 18 June, the Taoiseach announced that the Government had appointed with effect from 19 June the other 15 Ministers of State and that the Government had also appointed Mary Hanafin to be Minister of State at the Department of Defence.[3]

Name	Department(s)	Responsibilities	Party
Mary Hanafin	Taoiseach Defence	Government Chief Whip Defence Information society		Fianna Fáil
Dick Roche	Taoiseach Foreign Affairs	European Affairs		Fianna Fáil
Tom Kitt	Foreign Affairs	Overseas Development and Human Rights		Fianna Fáil
Síle de Valera	Education and Science	Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage		Fianna Fáil
Jim McDaid	Transport	Road Traffic and Road Haulage		Fianna Fáil
Frank Fahey	Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Labour Affairs		Fianna Fáil
Noel Treacy	Agriculture and Food	Food and Horticulture		Fianna Fáil
Willie O'Dea	Justice, Equality and Law Reform	Equality and Disability Issues		Fianna Fáil
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher	Environment, Heritage and Local Government	Environmental Protection		Fianna Fáil
Liam Aylward	Agriculture and Food	Animal Health and Welfare; and Customer Service		Fianna Fáil
John Browne	Communications, Marine and Natural Resources	Marine		Fianna Fáil
Michael Ahern	Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Minister of State for Trade and Commerce		Fianna Fáil
Ivor Callely	Health and Children	Older People		Fianna Fáil
Noel Ahern	Environment, Heritage and Local Government Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs	Housing and Urban Renewal Drugs Strategy and Community Affairs		Fianna Fáil
Brian Lenihan	Health and Children Justice, Equality and Law Reform Education and Science	Children		Fianna Fáil
Tim O'Malley	Health and Children	Mental Health Services and Food Safety		Progressive Democrats
Tom Parlon	Finance	Office of Public Works		Progressive Democrats
Changes 29 September 2004 Following cabinet reshuffle.[12]
Name	Department(s)	Responsibilities	Party
Tom Kitt	Taoiseach Defence	Government Chief Whip		Fianna Fáil
Frank Fahey	Justice, Equality and Law Reform	Equality and Disability Issues		Fianna Fáil
Noel Treacy	Taoiseach Foreign Affairs	European Affairs		Fianna Fáil
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher	Communications, Marine and Natural Resources	Marine		Fianna Fáil
John Browne	Agriculture and Food	Forestry		Fianna Fáil
Ivor Callely	Transport	Traffic Management, Road Haulage and the Irish Aviation Authority		Fianna Fáil
Seán Power	Health and Children	Health Promotion		Fianna Fáil
Batt O'Keeffe	Environment, Heritage and Local Government	Environmental Protection		Fianna Fáil
Tony Killeen	Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Labour Affairs		Fianna Fáil
Brendan Smith	Agriculture and Food	Food and Horticulture		Fianna Fáil
Conor Lenihan	Foreign Affairs	Overseas Development and Human Rights		Fianna Fáil
Changes 14 February 2006 Following the resignation of Ivor Callely on 8 December 2005.[14]
Name	Department(s)	Responsibilities	Party
Mary Wallace	Agriculture and Food	Forestry		Fianna Fáil
John Browne	Communications, Marine and Natural Resources	Marine		Fianna Fáil
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher	Transport	Traffic Management, Road Haulage and the Irish Aviation Authority		Fianna Fáil
Changes 12 December 2006 Following the resignation of Síle de Valera on 8 December 2006.[15]
Name	Department(s)	Responsibilities	Party
Seán Haughey	Education and Science	Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage		Fianna Fáil

Dissolution

On 29 April 2007, the president dissolved the Dáil on the advice of the Taoiseach, and a general election was held on 24 May.[16] The members of the 30th Dáil met on 14 June and Bertie Ahern was re-appointed as Taoiseach and formed a new government.

See also

• Constitution of Ireland
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland

References

1. "Nomination of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Thursday, 6 June 2002". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
2. "Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government: Motion – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Thursday, 6 June 2002". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
3. "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Tuesday, 18 June 2002". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
4. "Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002". Irish Statute Book. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
5. "Marine and Natural Resources (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002". Irish Statute Book. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
6. "Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002". Irish Statute Book. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
7. "Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002". Irish Statute Book. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
8. "Environment and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2003". Irish Statute Book. 10 June 2003. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
9. "Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and The Islands (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002". Irish Statute Book. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
10. "Social, Community and Family Affairs (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002". Irish Statute Book. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
11. "Nomination of Members of the Government: Motion – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Wednesday, 29 September 2004". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
12. "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State: Statements – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Thursday, 30 September 2004". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
13. "Nomination of Tánaiste: Statement – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Wednesday, 27 September 2006". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
14. "Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Tuesday, 14 February 2006". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
15. "Appointment of Minister of State – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Tuesday, 12 December 2006". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
16. "President dissolves Dáil, clears way for election". The Irish Times. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2020.