Green Party sources: Eamon Ryan was trying to be nice to Joe O'Brien

Dublin Fingal Green Party TD Joe O'Brien abstained on a government vote last night. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Green TDs who were present at the parliamentary party meeting to sanction Neasa Hourigan and Joe O'Brien say they "had no idea what to expect".

Green Party junior minister, Joe O’Brien, abstained on the final vote of the Residential Tenancies Bill which was being debated in the Dáil on Thursday night after his party colleague, Neasa Hourigan, voted against it.