Coalition blushes spared in votes

THE Government came close to embarrassment yesterday when it escaped defeat in a Dáil vote by a narrow margin and lost an initial count in a Seanad vote.

A number of Fianna Fáil TDs and senators were unexpectedly absent, catching the party’s whips by surprise.

In the Dáil, the Government has a majority of six, but because of absences won successive votes during the order of business yesterday morning by margins of two and three votes respectively.