Govt set to approve motion of confidence in itself

The Government is set to use its Dáil majority to approve a motion of confidence in itself later today.

Speaking at the start of a two-day debate on the matter yesterday, the leaders of Fine Gael and Labour both said the Fianna Fáil-Green Party coalition had effectively lost its mandate to govern.

They said the local and European elections showed that voters wanted a new government to lead the country through the recession.

The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, however, rejected calls for a general election and insisted that the coalition's mandate lasted until 2012, regardless of the results of last Friday’s polls.

The Green Party also indicated that it has no intention of withdrawing from government following the drubbing it received in the local elections.

Green TD Ciaran Cuffe said he was happy to remain in the coalition as long as his party's key policies were being implemented.