Sinn Féin calls on Independent TDs to switch vote in motion of no confidence

Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has also appealed to Independents to back his legislation that would see the eviction ban continue until the end of January 2024.

Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin: 'The Government has not put in place the kind of mitigation measures that are required to prevent people from losing their homes in just five or six days' time.' Picture: Stephen Collins / Collins Photos

Sinn Féin and Labour have appealed to Independents who backed the Government over the eviction ban just days ago to vote no confidence in it on Wednesday.

The Dáil will, on Wednesday, debate a Government motion of confidence in itself, a counter to a Labour Party motion of no-confidence. 

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik said on Sunday that she will write to Independents to ask them to vote against the Government.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that he is confident that the motion will be defeated by a "significant margin", and it is understood that a number of independents will vote with the Government. 

Seven Independent TDs supported the Government in ending the eviction ban while Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan voted against her Coalition colleagues and was subsequently suspended from her parliamentary party.

Ms Hourigan did not respond to a query about which way she intends to vote, but one Independent who did support the Government last week warned that his vote is not guaranteed.

Galway East TD Sean Canney said that he was awaiting the text of the motions before he decides which way to vote.

Independent TD Sean Canney says he will 'wait to see'. Picture:Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

"I've said it publicly that our vote last week or my vote last week was based on what was in front of me last week," Mr Canney told RTÉ's The Week In Politics.

It is no indication of what I'm going to do this week.

"I'm going to wait to see the motion as brought forward."

Mr Canney said that his Regional Independents Group had "put the Government to the pin of its collar" in negotiating a number of measures on housing in exchange for support in the vote on Wednesday.

Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin appealed to Independents to vote for his legislation which will extend the eviction ban until the end of January 2024.

"What we're saying to all TDs, but particularly Opposition TDs and Independents, given the fact that the Government has not put in place the kind of mitigation measures that are required to prevent people from losing their homes in just five or six days' time, everyone now has a real opportunity to vote for a piece of legislation that will allow this crucial protection to be extended," he said.

"A ban on evictions in and of itself doesn't fix anything. 

It is the key emergency actions that we pleaded with Government last October to take actions which they have not taken."

Independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim Marian Harkin said that the entire debate did not show any measure of urgency from the Government on housing.