O'Keefe resigns whip as Govt defeats Harney motion

The Government has successfully voted down the Labour Party's motion of no confidence in Mary Harney.

The outcome was essentially a foregone conclusion as the Green Party and the independent TDs who support the Government had all decided to give their support to the embattled Health Minister.

In the end, the ruling coalition defeated the motion with 10 votes to spare.

There was one minor setback for Fianna Fáil, however, with Cork East TD Ned O'Keefe resigning the party whip and refusing to back a government motion praising Ms Harney.

The two-day debate on the matter is widely regarded as the low point in Ms Harney's career, with opposition TDs accusing her of failing to take responsibility for major problems in the health service.