Government is 'out of time': Labour to support Sinn Fein's no-confidence motion

Independent TD for Clare Michael McNamara has already confirmed he will not back the Government in a no-confidence motion

Mary Lou McDonald said it is important that the opposition hold the Government to account.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald confirmed the party has lodged a motion of no confidence in the Government as she claimed the three-party coalition is "out of road".

The party will table the motion of no-confidence in the Government in the Dáil next week. 

The Government's majority in the Dáil was lost in dramatic scenes on Wednesday when Joe McHugh voted against its mica legislation.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that he believes Mr McHugh will continue to support the Government despite the former Education Minister resigning the Fine Gael whip.

Ms McDonald said it is important that the opposition hold the Government to account.

“Two years on, we believe that this government has now run out of road. They're out of time. They're out of ideas,” she said.

Labour is to support Sinn Fein's motion with a spokesperson for the party saying they believe it's time for change.

They added that it has "never had confidence in this government to address the serious issues".

Independent TD for Clare Michael McNamara has already confirmed he will not back the Government in the no-confidence motion.

Ms McDonald has urged other Independent politicians who have previously supported the coalition to vote in favour of the Sinn Féin motion.

“I think each individual member of the Dail will have to reflect on the performance of this Government, reflect on the fact that in so many ways, rather than things improving over the last two years, things have gotten so much worse. I'm thinking in particular in the area of housing, but I could cite other areas.

“I think members also have to reflect on the fact that we are living through an inflationary spiral cost of living crisis, that families are struggling and will struggle very badly into the autumn and the winter,” Ms McDonald told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

Earlier, Mr McNamara said he would not vote confidence in the Government, citing local concerns around Shannon Airport and University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

Clare TD Michael McNamara said he would not vote confidence in the Government, citing local concerns around Shannon Airport and University Hospital Limerick. File picture: Collins

He also said the rushing through of legislation is 'anti-democratic' and that he cannot support laws that have not been scrutinised adequately. 

The Government was not controlling what it could, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

“There is an abject lack of humility by this Government.” The lack of a “balanced” aviation policy had led to one airport being overwhelmed while two others were underused.

Queues at Dublin Airport on Saturday, July 2. Picture: Martha Brennan

It was the same with health with one hospital (UHL) being overcrowded with the safety of patients at great risk.

A very damning Hiqa report had highlighted the difficulties in UHL, he added. The hospital had the lowest levels of beds and consultants per capita.

Mr McNamara also criticised the way in which the pyrite issue had been debated in the Dáil, saying the Bill had been “rammed through”.

“Democracy is important, how we make laws is important.” The Data Retention Bill had also been “rammed” through the Dáil, he added.

The Opposition had a job to scrutinise legislation, but that was not being allowed.

Mr McNamara pointed out that the Planning Bill which passed through the Dáil recently had been raised to deal with anomalies in the existing legislation, yet it was rushed through without scrutiny which would create more anomalies, he warned.