Aodhán Ó Riordáin may face expulsion from government over Traveller-motion support

A junior minister could be facing expulsion from government after saying he supported an Opposition motion to recognise Travellers as an ethnic minority.

Labour's Aodhán Ó Riordáin said he supported the motion going to a vote tonight even though it has been rejected by the Government.

The coalition is instead putting a counter-motion which says the matter is simply being "considered" by the Government.

However, junior minister Ó Riordáin said he had been campaigning within government to recognise Traveller ethnicity.

"I am told that I have to take account of public opinion, but I don’t accept the premise that we should deal in the terms of popular opinion when advocating the rights of a minority.

"Outside of a referendum, I don’t believe we should deal in 'focus-group' equality."