The Late 1980s, Fiscal Rectitude and the EEC’s Impact on Irish Fisheries
In this chapter you will learn about: • The 1987 general election and Fianna Fáil’s minority government • How Fianna Fáil tackled the economy • The EEC’s impact on Irish fisheries • The Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition government • The 1990 presidential election
By the end of this chapter you will be able to: • Understand Fianna Fáil’s new approach to the economy and Northern Ireland • Assess Charles Haughey’s political career
• Contextualise the impact the EEC had on Ireland’s fishing industry by understanding what the industry was like before and after joining the EEC
• Assess the significant political, social and economic developments that had taken place during the years 1949–1989
The 1987 Election: ‘There Is A Better Way’
The 1987 general election was a lively affair. Fine Gael attacked Haughey over his opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. The Labour Party was in trouble with its voters because of the party’s support for Fine Gael’s budgets while they were in office. Fianna Fáil attacked Fine Gael’s economic policies, and promised that if they were elected they would reverse some of the cuts in
Fianna Fáil election poster.
public spending, particularly in the health service. One of Fianna Fáil’s posters stated that ‘There is a better way’, but didn’t go into a great deal of detail on what that way was.
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