Several Fianna Fail members of the present minority coalition Government with the Progressive Democrats served under Mr Charles Haughey - some with enthusiasm, others less so.
Chief among them is the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern. In Mr Haughey's eventful 1982 government, Mr Ahern was a junior minister in Mr Haughey's Department and at the Department of Defence as well as being chief whip. From 1987 to 1992, when Mr Haughey was again Taoiseach and in receipt of £1.3 million from Mr Ben Dunne, Mr Ahern was variously Minister for Labour, Minister for Industry and Commerce and, finally, Minister for Finance.
In October 1982 when the current Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy, proposed a motion of no confidence in Mr Haughey as leader of Fianna Fail, Mr Ahern voted against the motion, thereby supporting Mr Haughey. When the illegal tapping of journalists' telephones was confirmed in January 1983 and the bugging of Dr Martin O'Donoghue by Mr Ray MacSharry was revealed, Mr Ahern was not among those who demanded a meeting of the parliamentary party.
At that meeting, Mr Haughey's leadership was reaffirmed in a secret ballot by 40 votes to 33.
Of the present Ministers, the longest ministerial career under Mr Haughey is that of Dr Michael Woods. When Mr Haughey was elected leader of the party in 1979, he appointed Dr Woods, then just two years in the Dail, a junior minister in his Department and at Defence, and chief whip.
Later, Dr Woods notched up his many years as Minister for Health and Social Welfare: 1979-81; from March to December 1982; 198791 (social welfare only); and in 1991-92, he was Minister for Agriculture and Food.
Dr Woods supported Mr Haughey's leadership in the October 1982 challenge. He was not among those who demanded a meeting of the parliamentary party in February 1983.
Another long-serving Haughey minister in the current Cabinet is Mr Ray Burke, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In 1980, Mr Haughey promoted Mr Burke to his first cabinet position as Minister for the Environment where he oversaw, among other things, local government and planning matters. Mr Burke occupied the same position in the 1982 government.
From 1987 until 1992, Mr Burke held several ministries under Mr Haughey: variously Energy and Communications, Industry and Commerce and Communications, and Justice.
Mr Burke voted confidence in Mr Haughey's leadership in October 1982, but was among those Fianna Fail TDs who demanded a meeting of the parliamentary party in February 1983.
Ms Mary O'Rourke, the present Minister for Public Enterprise, served under Mr Haughey from 1987 to 1992 as Minister for Education and for Health.
The Cabinet has two long-time opponents of Mr Haughey - Mr David Andrews and Mr McCreevy.
Mr Andrews was parliamentary secretary to the then Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch, from 1970 until 1973, as well as chief whip. He was junior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and at Justice between 1977 and 1979. However, when Mr Haughey was elected leader in 1979, his ministerial career ended until 1992 when Mr Albert Reynolds appointed him Minister for Foreign Affairs.
During various leadership challenges to Mr Haughey, Mr Andrews made his preference clear. In October 1982, he voted no confidence in him and was one of those who demanded the February 1983 meeting about Mr Haughey. He was one of the 33 TDs at that meeting who supported Mr George Colley's motion demanding Mr Haughey's resignation as leader of Fianna Fail "now".
Mr McCreevy never held ministerial office under Mr Haughey - not surprisingly as he was one of his most trenchant and consistent critics. After the failure of his October 1982 no-confidence motion in Mr Haughey, Mr McCreevy needed Garda protection to leave Leinster House without being assaulted by Mr Haughey's supporters.
The final member of the present Government to have had close contact with Mr Haughey is Mr Seamus Brennan, who has the unusual distinction of having both opposed Mr Haughey and worked loyally with him.
Mr Brennan, current junior minister in Mr Ahern's Department and Defence, as well as being chief whip, was a protege of Mr Lynch, whom he served as general secretary of Fianna Fail, a post he retained until 1980.
Initially, Mr Brennan did not prosper under Mr Haughey and in October 1982 he voted no confidence in him, and was among those TDs who demanded the special meeting in February 1983.
However, in 1987 by which time Mr Brennan had apparently reconciled himself to Mr Haughey's leadership, Mr Haughey appointed him a junior minister at Industry and Commerce and, in 1989, he was made Minister for Tourism and Transport. When Mr Haughey resigned in 1992, he was Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications.
