Sinn Féin seeks no confidence vote

Sinn Féin today tabled a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach.

Caoimhghin Ó Caolain, the party’s leader in the Dáil, urged all TDs opposed to Brian Cowen’s leadership of the country to vote against him.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD said the Taoiseach no longer commands a majority in the house.

“He should now put the issue to the test and allow a vote on the motion of no confidence which has been tabled by the four Sinn Féin deputies,” Mr O Caolain said.

“Are we to continue with this charade which is an insult to the Irish people?

“They are being denied a democratic choice because Fianna Fáil and the Greens want to put the people in the straitjacket of a savage and regressive budget, a four-year plan and an IMF/EU loan before a General Election.

“Brian Cowen and his Government should go and go now.”

A Sinn Féin motion states that the Taoiseach has misled and betrayed the Irish people and leads a Fianna Fáil/Green Government which has totally mismanaged the economy and sold the nation’s sovereignty to the IMF and EU.

The motion was put forward by Mr Ó Caolain and other Sinn Féin TDs Arthur Morgan, Martin Ferris and Aengus O Snodaigh, who was one of about 50 protesters who briefly breached the gates of Government Buildings during a march yesterday.

The party said it wanted to make a public call for a vote on the Taoiseach’s future tonight.