Government wins motion of confidence

Micheál Martin's coalition secured 85 votes in the motion which was tabled in response to a no-confidence vote by Sinn Féin.

Tue, 12 Jul, 2022 - 19:19

Elaine Loughlin and Daniel McConnell

The Government has won a motion of confidence in a Dáil vote.

Micheál Martin's coalition secured 85 votes in the motion which was tabled in response to a no-confidence vote by Sinn Féin.

Independent TD Matt Shanahan abstained in the ballot, while 66 TDs voted against the Government.

Independents Joe McHugh, Marc MacSharry, Cathal Berry, Peter Fitzpatrick, Michael Lowry and Sean Canney voted with the Government.

Prior to the vote, the Taoiseach strongly defended the Government's record on housing and health during a confidence motion in the Dáil.

Mr Martin was forced to move the motion of confidence in the Government, which was sparked by Sinn Féin's plan to present a no-confidence motion later this evening.

There were pointed exchanges, applause and interruptions, with some speakers being drowned out by heckling during the ongoing debate on the motion, which is due to be voted on later this evening.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald claimed that the Government has "no urgency" and "no vision". Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Dismissing Sinn Féin suggestions that the Government is "out of road", Mr Martin said the coalition has disagreements but works hard to overcome them and to honour its "ambitious and achievable" programme of work.

"We each have our priorities and remain separate parties. This is how successful coalition governments across Europe work," Mr Martin said.

Hitting out at Mary Lou McDonald's party, the Taoiseach said: "Shouting ‘not enough’, ‘more’ and ‘what-about’ represents an approach to politics that is, at its heart, deeply dishonest."

Mr Martin added: "It is a striking fact that the party that is today telling us how our country is a basket case where everything has been wrong for 100 years is, at the same time, claiming that country is so successful that it should be irresistible to the North."

However, Ms McDonald claimed that the Government has "no urgency" and "no vision" and said the coalition is "unravelling before our very eyes".

She pointed to three major issues where the Government has failed - housing, health and the cost-of-living crisis.

"Not only has this Government failed to make improvements in the areas that really matter to people, but it has in fact managed to make a bad situation so much worse," said Ms McDonald.

"This is especially true in housing, in healthcare and in dealing with the cost of living crisis that has literally pushed households to the brink.

"The Government has no urgency, no vision, no capacity to grasp the severity of these problems in the lives of ordinary people. By any fair judgment, the Taoiseach is failing," she told the Dáil.

Fine Gael’s most senior TD, Bernard Durkan, said that Sinn Féin had displayed "a terrible lack of decency" and "reached a new low in exploiting his Covid diagnosis for their advantage".

Mr Durkan had tested positive for Covid-19 and was in self-isolation during the vote as a result. Sinn Féin denied him a pair for the vote.

Speaking from his home, Mr Durkan said he was "surprised and disappointed" by the move.

"In parliamentary practice, pairing is an informal arrangement between the government and opposition parties where a member agrees to abstain from voting when a member of the other party needs to be absent from the chamber due to other commitments."

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said: "We do not facilitate pairing arrangements on votes of confidence. The government could have approached other parties or groups. We wish Bernard Durkan a speedy recovery."

Sinn Féin motion backfires: How TDs voted in Dáil motion of confidence