II.

Early Political Career

Ahern joined the political party Fianna Fáil, and was first elected to the Irish parliament, the Dáil Éireann, in 1977, representing a district in Dublin. From 1978 to 1988 he sat on the Dublin City Council. Ahern was appointed party spokesman on youth issues in 1981. By 1982 he had risen to the post of opposition chief whip in the Dáil.

From 1986 to 1987 Ahern served as lord mayor of Dublin. In 1987 he became minister of labor in the government of Charles Haughey, a post he held until 1991, when he became minister of finance. In 1989 he took charge of the negotiations that allowed his party to remain in office in a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats. Ahern was elected leader of Fianna Fáil in 1994.