Feighan: My vote against party would have led to end of Government

Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan said today that if he had voted against the Government in a motion on Roscommon Hospital last night, it would have dealt a fatal blow to the stability of the Government.

The Roscommon/South Leitrim backbencher, elected with 18.91% of the vote in the last election, claimed that the coalition would not have lasted more than a year if he voted against it.

Deputy Feighan resisted intense pressure and sided with the coalition in the vote which called for a reversal of cuts at the hospital's A&E last night.

His constituency colleague Denis Naughten is expected to be expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party after he voted against the Government.

Deputy Feighan believes he will pay the political price at the next election, but he said that he was thinking of the country when he made his decision.

"I represent the people of Ireland," he said.

"If I had left Government last night, I believe the Government wouldn’t have lasted more than a year.

"I think that a stand had to be made and I think this country needs a strong Government."