‘Mutiny’ in coalition ranks after election

THE election drubbing suffered by Fianna Fáil and the Greens has caused “mutiny in the ranks” and will erode the Government’s ability to get to grips with the economic crisis, the Dáil has heard.

After a stormy debate, with numerous insults hurled across the floor, the Government last night defeated a motion of no confidence tabled by Fine Gael and passed a motion of confidence in its place by a comfortable majority of six votes.

But Labour deputy leader Joan Burton predicted this would prove merely a temporary act of unity.