There are a number of political parties in Ireland, and coalition governments are common. The two historically largest parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, arose from a split in the original Sinn Féin. Fine Gael is the successor of Cumann na nGaedheal, the faction that supported the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, while Fianna Fáil arose from members of the anti-Treaty faction who opposed Sinn Féin's abstensionism. The division on the Treaty had also caused the Irish Civil War (1922–23), leading to the difference between the parties being described as "Civil War politics", to distinguish it from a more common left-right political divide. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together are sometimes pejoratively referred to as "FFG".[1] [2]
, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin jointly have the greatest representation in Dáil Éireann, followed closely by Fine Gael in third position. The Green Party surpassed the Labour Party in 2020. The Labour Party was formed in 1912, and it had usually been the third party in parliamentary strength, though it is currently the fifth largest party in the Dáil, followed closely by the Social Democrats.
The Electoral Commission maintains a Register of Political Parties under the Electoral Reform Act 2022.[3] Before the establishment of the Commission 2023, the register was maintained by the Houses of the Oireachtas.[4] To register to contest national elections a party must have either at least one member in Dáil Éireann or the European Parliament, or 300 recorded members aged 18 or over. Parties that register only to contest elections in part of the state or in local elections need only 100 recorded members aged 18 or over. In either case, at least half of the recorded members must be on the register of electors.[5]
Fianna Fáil is the joint largest party in the Dáil, has the joint largest delegation of MEPs from Ireland, and has the largest number of city and county council seats. It has been in government more than any other party: 1932–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1973, 1977–1981, 1982, 1987–1994, and 1997–2011, and since 2020. On all occasions up to 1989, it was in a single-party government; on all occasions since then it was the leading party in a coalition government. It is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and is led by Tánaiste Micheál Martin.
It was founded in 1926 by Éamon de Valera in a split from Sinn Féin. When Sinn Féin refused to drop its abstentionist stand, de Valera led most of its TDs out of that party with a view toward republicanising the Free State from within. It was founded as a radical anti-Treaty party drawing support from small farmers and urban workers but has since become a party of the establishment. It was first elected to power in 1932 on a constitutional republican platform, promising to remove constitutional links with Britain and reduce poverty by creating employment. It oversaw much of the industrial development of the Republic and has consequently drawn support from all social classes, making it a classic populist party.[6] [7] [8]
Fianna Fáil has 35 TDs, 21 Senators, four MEPs and 248 councillors.
See main article: History of Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin is the joint largest party in the Dáil and the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The name Sinn Féin, meaning "ourselves" or "we ourselves", has been used by a number of political organisations in Ireland since 1905, when first used by Arthur Griffith. Sinn Féin was the party of separatism before Irish independence, and broke through in the Westminster election of 1918, where it won 73 of the 105 Irish seats.
The modern-day Sinn Féin party emerged in 1970 after a split in the party, and was often distinguished as Provisional Sinn Féin. It was closely linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army. It is led by Mary Lou McDonald.
Sinn Féin has 35 TDs, two Senators, two MEPs and 102 councillors in the Republic of Ireland.
Fine Gael is the third largest party in the Dáil, the second largest party in local government in Ireland and has joint largest delegation of MEPs from Ireland. It was founded in 1933 by a merger of Cumann na nGaedheal, which had supported the Treaty and formed the government between 1922 and 1932, the National Guard (popularly called the Blueshirts) and the small National Centre Party. It is a member of the centre-right European People's Party and is led by Simon Harris. Counting the tenure of predecessor Cumann na nGaedheal, Fine Gael has been in government in the periods 1922–1932, 1948–1951, 1954–1957, 1973–1977, 1981–1982, 1982–1987, 1994–1997, and 2011 to date. On each occasion from 1948 until 2016, it was the leading party of a coalition with the Labour Party, and in three of those cases also with other smaller parties. At the 2011 general election, Fine Gael became the largest party in the Oireachtas with 36.1% of the vote.
Fine Gael has 34 TDs, 15 Senators, four MEPs and 245 councillors.
The Green Party was established in 1981 and is allied to the European Green Party. The Green Party Northern Ireland voted in 2005 to become a region of the Irish Green Party, making it the second party to be organised on an all-Ireland basis. It has Northern Ireland members on the Irish Green Party national executive.
In June 2007, the Green Party entered coalition government with Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats. In January 2011 they left the coalition, and at the 2011 general election, lost all of their Dáil seats.[9] Since 2020, it has been in a coalition government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
In the 2020 election, they became the fourth party in parliamentary strength. The Green Party has 12 TDs, five Senators and 23 councillors.[9]
The Labour Party is a social democratic party, founded in 1912 as part of the trade union movement, with which it maintains organisational links. For most of the history of the state, it was the third largest party, though it is currently in fifth position in parliamentary strength.
It has been in government in the periods 1948–1951, 1954–1957, 1973–1977, 1981–1982, 1982–1987, 1993–1994, 1994–1997, and 2011–2016. On each occasion, it was in coalition with Fine Gael, with the exception 1993 to 1994, when it was in coalition with Fianna Fáil. The Labour Party merged with the smaller Democratic Left party in 1999. It is a member of the Party of European Socialists and has been led by Ivana Bacik since March 2022.
The Labour Party has six TDs, four Senators, one MEP and 56 councillors.
The Social Democrats were founded in July 2015 by three independent TDs Catherine Murphy, Róisín Shortall, and Stephen Donnelly (who has since left the party for Fianna Fáil.) The Social Democrats have six TDs and 35 councillors.
People Before Profit–Solidarity is an electoral alliance between People Before Profit (PBP), Solidarity and the Socialist Party.[10] In October 2015, they formed a new alliance for electoral purposes, but continue to organise separately.[11]
Together they have five TDs (four from PBP, one from Solidarity) and 13 (ten from PBP, three from Solidarity) councillors.
Independent Ireland was registered in November 2023 and was founded by two TDs, Michael Collins and Richard O'Donoghue, both members of the Rural Independents Dáil grouping.[12] It has three TDs, one MEP and 23 councillors.
Aontú is an all-Ireland republican party with a left-wing economic stance and a conservative social position. It was founded in 2019 by Peadar Tóibín who left Sinn Féin because of its support for the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. It has one TD and eight councillors in the Republic of Ireland.
Right to Change was founded in May 2020. It has one TD, Joan Collins,[13] and one councillor.[14]
The Human Dignity Alliance (HDA) was founded by Senator Rónán Mullen in June 2018. HDA has one senator.
100% Redress was founded in County Donegal in 2023, campaigning on the Irish defective block crisis.[15] [16] It has four councillors on Donegal County Council.[17]
Independents 4 Change has been registered as a political party since 2014. Its registered officer is Mick Wallace. It has one councillor.
Workers and Unemployed Action (WUA) is a left-wing political organisation formed in 1985 by Séamus Healy. At the 2011 election, the WUA formed part of the United Left Alliance, but it left in 2012.[18] [19] WUA has one councillor.
The Kerry Independent Alliance (previously the South Kerry Independent Alliance) have one councillor on Kerry County Council. It is registered to contest elections for Dáil Éireann and in Killarney for local elections.
Republican Sinn Féin were formed in 1986 by members of Sinn Féin who did not support the decision made at the party's Irish: [[ard fheis]] in that year to end its policy of abstentionism and to allow elected Sinn Féin TDs take their seats in Dáil Éireann.[20] They have one councillor, Tomás Ó Curraoin on Galway County Council. As the party is not registered, he is officially an independent councillor.
Independent Left have one councillor, former PBP member John Lyons, on Dublin City Council.[21] As the party is not registered, he is officially an independent councillor.
The National Party is a minor far-right party founded in 2016. It has one councillor on Fingal County Council.[22]
The Irish Freedom Party is a minor far-right and Eurosceptic party founded in 2018. It has one councillor on South Dublin County Council.[23]
| Party | Leader | Ideology | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (formerly Renua) | Andrew Kelly | Anti-abortion | Right-wing to far-right | |
| Ciara Ní Mhaoilfhinn | Communism | Far-left | ||
| Brian Leeson | Irish republicanism | Far-left | ||
| Liam McLaughlin | Agrarianism | |||
| None | Green politics | Left-wing | ||
| [24] | Diarmaid Ó Cadhla | N/A | ||
| Derek Blighe | Anti-immigration[25] | Far-right | ||
| Anti-immigration[26] | Far-right | |||
| Ard chomhairle | Irish republicanism | Far-left | ||
| Ben Gilroy | Direct democracy | Right-wing | ||
| Carol Johnson | Animal welfare | N/A | ||
| Lorna Bogue | Eco-socialism | Left-wing | ||
| Brian Kenna | Irish republicanism | Far-left | ||
| Jeffrey Rudd | N/A | |||
| Michael McCorry | Marxism–Leninism | Far-left | ||