Slim margin in eviction ban vote as Independents to turn against Government
A number of Independent TDs who have previously backed the Government are now expected to vote against a countermotion put forward by the Coalition.
The eviction ban vote is expected to go down to the slimmest of margins yet for the Government, with a number of Independents declaring they intend to side with Sinn Féin.
A number of Independent TDs who have previously backed the Government are now expected to vote against a countermotion put forward by the Coalition.
Sinn Féin has tabled the motion, due to be debated in the Dáil this evening, which would extend the eviction moratorium until the end of January next year.
Independents Michael Healy-Rae and Michael Collins have joined Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan in confirming that they will not be supporting the Government in the vote, while other Independents including Mattie McGrath, Michael Fitzmaurice, Peter Fitzpatrick, and Matt Shanahan have strongly indicated that they will also be going against the Coalition.
Noel Grealish, who has propped up the Government on crucial motions in the past, has told Sinn Féin that he will not be in the Dáil on Wednesday for the vote.
Verona Murphy was last night waiting to see the Government countermotion before making a decision, while Marian Harkin is to announce her intention on local radio this morning.
However, former Education Minister Joe McHugh, who resigned the Fine Gael whip over the Mica redress bill last year, told the that he will be backing the Government.
The Enhanced Defective Block Bill, which Mr McHugh voted against, passed by just six votes last July. However, Sinn Féin is now hoping to reduce that margin further in Wednesday's vote.
Cork South-West Michael Collins said he will be backing Sinn Féin’s motion after speaking to people across his constituency in recent days.
“The simple reason is that I’ve been running clinics Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and meeting people who’ve been sent letters to say they’re going to be evicted,” he said.
However, Mr Collins stressed that he and other members of the Rural Independents group would be meeting this morning to finalise their own amendments.
One of the proposed amendments would see the first €15,000 earned by a small landlord designated as tax free.
While Michael Fitzmaurice has yet to make his voting intentions known, it is likely that he will vote with the Sinn Féin motion.
The Roscommon-Galway TD has tabled two amendments, including one which would lower the rate of tax to 25% for landlords who rent out three properties or fewer.
Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick said he "can't see" himself voting with the Government, but added that he would be willing to listen if substantial measures are put forward by the housing minister.
"At this present time I will not be supporting the Government, I haven't made my decision," he said.
"My biggest problem at the moment is the Government has no plan; for the past number of years they have been promising this, that, and the other ... the amount of people coming into my constituency office at the moment who are homeless, it's a pandemic state at the moment."
Waterford Independent Matt Shanahan said he was "reserving his position", but he said the Government had "put everybody in a difficult decision".
Mr Shanahan said he had put forward a number of proposals before the Dáil recess, however, the Government has indicated that it will be waiting until the budget to introduce tax measures, which he said is a "mistake".
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