Government of the 20th Dáil

Government of the 20th Dáil
14th Government of Ireland
Date formed	14 March 1973
Date dissolved	5 July 1977
People and organisations
Head of government	Liam Cosgrave
Deputy head of government	Brendan Corish
Head of state	Éamon de Valera (1973) Erskine H. Childers (1973–74) Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (1974–76) Patrick Hillery (1976–77)
Total no. of ministers	16
Member parties	Fine Gael Labour Party
Status in legislature	Coalition
Opposition leader	Jack Lynch (Fianna Fáil)
History
Election(s)	1973 general election
Legislature term(s)	20th Dáil
Predecessor	13th Government of Ireland
Successor	15th Government of Ireland

The 20th Dáil was elected at the 1973 general election on 28 February 1973 and first met on 14 March when the 14th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 20th Dáil lasted for 1,569 days.

The 14th Government of Ireland (14 March 1973 – 5 July 1977) – or more commonly the National Coalition – was the name given to the coalition government formed in 1973 by Fine Gael and the Labour Party. The National Coalition was led by Liam Cosgrave, the Fine Gael leader, as Taoiseach, and Brendan Corish, the Labour Party leader, as Tánaiste. It remained in power for four years but was defeated in the 1977 general election, when the opposition Fianna Fáil party won the biggest landslide in Irish electoral history.

The National Coalition is remembered, among other things, for restricting the power of the National Council for Educational Awards. This forced the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and Thomond College of Education, Limerick to apply to the National University of Ireland for the conferring of degrees and diplomas. This government was also remembered as a reforming government, for instance removed the requirement that Irish be passed to obtain a Leaving Certificate; also of reforming the civil service by removing the requirement of knowledge in Irish and the mandatory retirement on marriage that many women faced during their civil service careers.

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Wikipedia