title: Leader of the Labour Party (Ireland)
text: # Leader of the Labour Party (Ireland)
  
  The Leader of the Labour Party is the most senior politician within the Labour Party in Ireland. Since 24 March 2022, the office has been held by Ivana Bacik, following the resignation of Alan Kelly as leader of the party.
  
  In a review of procedures at the party's 2017 conference, the position of Deputy Leader was abolished after a year of lying vacant, and the nomination and seconding of new leadership candidates was extended to Senators and MEPs as well as TDs.
  
  ## Leaders
  
  | Name | Constituency | Term of Office | Term of Office | Office(s) |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Thomas Johnson | Dublin County | 1917 | 1927 | |
  | Thomas J. O'Connell | Mayo South | 1927 | 1932 | |
  | William Norton | Kildare | 1932 | 2 March 1960 | Tánaiste Minister for Social Welfare Minister for Industry and Commerce |
  | Brendan Corish | Wexford | 2 March 1960 | 26 June 1977 | Tánaiste Minister for Health Minister for Social Welfare |
  | Frank Cluskey | Dublin South-Central | 1 July 1977 | 12 June 1981 | |
  | Michael O'Leary | Dublin North-Central | 17 June 1981 | 1 November 1982 | Tánaiste Minister for Energy |
  | Dick Spring | Kerry North | 1 November 1982 | 13 November 1997 | Tánaiste Minister for the Environment Minister for Energy Minister for Foreign Affairs |
  | Ruairi Quinn | Dublin South-East | 13 November 1997 | 25 October 2002 | |
  | Pat Rabbitte | Dublin South-West | 25 October 2002 | 6 September 2007 | |
  | Eamon Gilmore | Dún Laoghaire | 6 September 2007 | 4 July 2014 | Tánaiste Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade |
  | Joan Burton | Dublin West | 4 July 2014 | 20 May 2016 | Tánaiste Minister for Social Protection |
  | Brendan Howlin | Wexford | 20 May 2016 | 3 April 2020 | |
  | Alan Kelly | Tipperary | 3 April 2020 | 24 March 2022 | |
  | Ivana Bacik | Dublin Bay South | 24 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
  
  ## Deputy leaders
  
  | Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Constituency | Term of Office | Term of Office | Office(s) held |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Barry Desmond | | Dún Laoghaire | 22 February 1982 | July 1989 | Minister for Social Welfare Minister for Health |
  | Ruairi Quinn | | Dublin South-East | July 1989 | 13 November 1997 | Minister for Enterprise and Employment Minister for Finance |
  | Brendan Howlin | | Wexford | 13 November 1997 | 25 October 2002 | |
  | Liz McManus | | Wicklow | 25 October 2002 | 4 October 2007 | |
  | Joan Burton | | Dublin West | 4 October 2007 | 4 July 2014 | Minister for Social Protection |
  | Alan Kelly | | Tipperary North | 4 July 2014 | 20 May 2016 | Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government |
  | Position vacant | Position vacant | Position vacant | 20 May 2016 | 20 May 2016 | |
  | Position abolished | Position abolished | Position abolished | April 2017 | April 2017 | |
  