Taoiseach rejects calls for ‘free vote’ of no confidence

FIANNA FÁIL was last night challenged to allow its TDs to vote with their conscience in a “free vote” on the motion of no confidence in Health Minister Mary Harney.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore reasoned that if Fianna Fáil TDs were allowed to vote freely and as they wished, Ms Harney would be defeated in tonight’s crucial vote.

“I think if you were to give your deputies a free vote in the house this evening, there wouldn’t be any doubt about the outcome,” he said.

Mr Gilmore’s call for an open vote was supported by Sinn Féin and Fine Gael but rejected by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern during Leaders’ Questions yesterday.

“My own view, Deputy Gilmore, is that if you had a free vote on your side of the house, a large number of your deputies would vote for Minister Harney,” said Mr Ahern, prompting a chorus of protests from the opposition benches.

Last night, the Government remained confident it would win the vote with a comfortable majority.

Government chief whip Tom Kitt made clear on Monday that TDs who fail to attend or vote against the Government will face expulsion.

However, Independent TDs Finian McGrath and Jackie Healy-Rae, who have struck deals with the Government in exchange for support are undecided regarding the vote.

A scheduled trip to Belfast today by the environment and local government Oireachtas committee was postponed by Fianna Fáil chairman Sean Fleming yesterday amid fears that 10 TDs would not return in time for the late vote tonight.

“That vote is too serious a business to miss and I was concerned that if there were any delays on the train, we could miss out,” he said.

Committee member, Labour’s Ciaran Lynch, said the postponement highlighted how seriously the vote is being taken and indicated the level of “nervousness” within FF.

Breaking ranks with the Green Party’s line, former MEP Patricia McKenna called for the minister to step down: “The time now has to come where there is a certain amount of integrity... actually shown by ministers acting... The whole rot in the health service has been building up for many years with successive ministers for health being responsible.”