Govt wins first vote on stag hunting legislation

The Government has won the first in a series of votes on legislation to ban stag hunting by a margin of four.

Independent TDs Michael Lowry, Jackie Healy Rae and Joe Behan voted against the Government, but all of Fianna Fail's backbenchers supported the Bill.

However two Fianna Fáil backbenchers were asked to leave a meeting of the party this evening after failing to turn up in the Dáil chamber for the vote.

After TDs returned to the Parliamentary Party meeting this evening, Deputies Mattie McGrath and Christy O'Sullivan were reprimanded and asked to leave.