Greens insist Government stability is not under threat despite suspensions

Pauline O’Reilly said she and her party colleagues hope that both deputies will return to the fold after six months.

Neasa Hourigan (pictured) and Patrick Costello voted against the government on a motion on the National Maternity Hospital. File picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

There is no threat to the stability of the Government despite the six-month expulsion of two Green Party TDs after they voted with the Opposition, a coalition senator has said.

Green Party Senator and close Eamon Ryan ally Pauline O’Reilly said her party whip had forewarned Neasa Hourigan and Patrick Costello that sanctions would apply were they to vote against the government as they did on Wednesday night on a motion on the National Maternity Hospital.

She said there is still “unity of purpose” within the Greens to remain in government even though the coalition’s working majority is now technically down to the bare minimum.

“I think that we do have a unity of purpose. And both deputies I believe, realize that there will be sanctions imposed. Sanctions are important in a whip system. And the whip had given clear directions,” she said.

Ms O’Reilly said she and her party colleagues hope that both deputies will return to the fold after six months.

She and other members of the Greens would have preferred to see the new hospital built on public land but “that wasn’t possible”, she said, adding that the land simply wasn't for sale.

“Now, since then, we have had reassurances, we've had many briefings but we've also seen all of the documents” she added. 

And we have now a change from a 99-year lease to a 300-year lease and I believe that does give the security and I'm fully confident all of the terminations that we had hoped, the gender confirmation surgery will go ahead and I'm fully confident about that.

TDs from the other Government parties said they welcomed the sanctions as discipline within the coalition is important. James Lawless, TD for Kildare North and chair of the Oireachtas Justice Committee, said he is glad the Green Party is taking the matter seriously.

“I think that's correct that when a government deputy votes against the government that there should be a sanction, I'm glad that the Green Party has taken matters seriously. I'm glad that they have applied a sterner sanction than they did the last time,” he said.

“They are part of the government team. Their whip operation has to function in the same way as the other government parties function. And when a member of the government party votes against the government's group, it's important that there are consequences and people realise that's not something to be done lightly,” he added.

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Ciaran Cannon, Fine Gael Galway East TD, sought to play down the significance of the two TDs going overboard saying there are no long-term implications for either the outcome of the vote or government stability.

“It doesn't change anything in terms of how the government is moving forward in developing the hospital. And secondly, I don't think it has any long-term implications for the stability of the coalition,” he said.

Barry Cowen, former Agriculture Minister and Offaly TD, said the Green Party had to be seen to be effective in its disciplinary procedures.

“I think the right decision was taken by them in suspending their two members for six months and taking the whip off them. They made a valid point in arriving at that conclusion that the effectiveness of the Greens in government is dependent on its unity in government, unity of purpose,” he said.