No confidence vote to go ahead at 9pm

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will have to wait until 9pm to know his fate following the first ever motion of no confidence being tabled against him in the Dáil.

The debate will begin around 5pm and votes will be cast at 8.30pm.

A long-awaited Labour Party motion on the decision by Aer Lingus to switch Heathrow slots from Shannon to Belfast has been put back until tomorrow afternoon.

Representatives of Mid-West business and tourism interests were holding a small protest outside the Dáil today.

Opposition leader Enda Kenny earlier revealed plans to move the motion of no confidence following a meeting of his front bench.

Labour TDs are expected to support Fine Gael in the motion.

All TDs from the Government benches will be summoned into the Dáil chamber for the late evening vote by chief whip Tom Kitt.

Minister for Enterprise Micheal Martin and Minister for Overseas Development Michael Kitt are currently away on business.

However they will be ’paired’ with Opposition TDs to balance numbers.