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.

Reynolds became party leader and prime minister in January 1992, but his government was defeated on a vote of confidence in November 1992. He succeeded in forming a Fianna Fáil-Labour coalition, but resigned as premier and party leader in November 1994 after Labour disputed a judicial appointment he had made and withdrew from the coalition.

Reynolds 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 pet-food company with a multi-million-pound turnover, before entering the political arena.

He joined Fianna Fáil in 1977, and held various government posts. In 1992, when Charles Haughey was forced to resign, he was elected president of Fianna Fáil by a majority of 66 votes to 16. As the year progressed, however, Reynolds's sure touch seemed to have deserted him and, after losing a confidence vote in parliament, he sought a personal mandate through a general election. He did not achieve a clear victory and was forced into a coalition with the Labour Party. Now growing in confidence, Reynolds announced a six-year development plan for ‘the transformation of Ireland’ in October 1993. Seeing closer relations with Britain as a key to unlocking the Northern Ireland problems, he participated in the 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 he resigned the premiership and gave up the leadership of Fianna Fáil. In March 1998 he announced that he was leaving politics to pursue his international business interests. This followed the failure of his bid to succeed Mary Robinson as Irish president.