Reynolds, Albert (1932– )

Irish Fianna Fáil politician, Taoiseach (prime minister) 1992–94. He was minister for industry and commerce 1987–88 and minister of finance 1988–92. In December 1993 Reynolds and UK prime minister John Major issued a joint peace initiative for Northern Ireland, the Downing Street Declaration, which led to a ceasefire by both the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the loyalist paramilitaries the following year.

In January 1992, when Charles Haughey was forced to resign, he was elected president of Fianna Fáil by a majority of 66 votes to 16, and prime minister. But his government was defeated on a vote of confidence in November 1992. After a general election he formed a Fianna Fáil–Labour coalition. In October 1993 he announced a six-year development plan for ‘the transformation of Ireland’. Seeing closer relations with the UK as a key to resolving the Northern Ireland problems, he participated in the December 1993 Downing Street Declaration, but in 1994, after a deep disagreement with its leader Dick Spring, Reynolds lost the support of the Labour Party. The coalition collapsed and in November 1994 he resigned the premiership and gave up the leadership of Fianna Fáil.

He saw the advantages of European Community membership, and after a referendum in 1992 ratified the Maastricht Treaty for closer union.

Reynolds was born in Rooskey, County Roscommon, and qualified as an accountant by correspondence course. He embarked on a business career, developing a successful pet-food company, before entering the political arena.

In 1977 he became a member of the Irish parliament, representing Fianna Fáil, and was minister for posts and telegraphs (1979–81), minister for transport (1980–81), minister for industry and energy (1982), minister for industry and commerce (1987–88), and minister for finance (1988–91). In 1997 he failed in an attempt to be elected to succeed Mary Robinson as Irish president, and in 2002 retired from the Irish parliament.