Taoiseach under pressure from own backbenchers

A loosening of the party whip system and allowing individual TDs to vote with their conscience on laws would be bad for stability and therefore bad for investment, the Taoiseach told the Dáil.

Enda Kenny took the unprecedented step of answering a “topical issues” question in the House this evening. But rather than answering to the opposition, he was responding to eight of his own party backbenchers - including the so-called five-a-side group who were calling changes to how the Dáil works.

The Fine Gael TDs called for: