Government likely to win confidence vote but faces further flak over ending of eviction ban
Labour leader Ivana Bacik wrote to Independent TDs: 'No one who voted for an Independent at the last general election expected that it would have been a vote for evictions.' Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews
The Government is expected to face down a motion of no confidence but will still face further bruising over its decision to end the eviction ban.
In response to the Labour Party’s motion of no confidence, the Government will use parliamentary procedure to table a motion of confidence in itself.
The move ensures TDs and ministers have more speaking time on the matter in the Dáil on Wednesday morning. That will be followed by a vote.
The Coalition still holds a majority in the Dáil, albeit just by one TD, but is expected to survive the vote. It’s understood pairing arrangements have been made for Fine Gael TD Joe Carey and minister Helen McEntee.
Such arrangements involve Opposition TDs agreeing not to vote in the Dáil to allow for the absence of Government TDs.
The Government is expected to use its speaking time to take aim at the Labour Party and Sinn Féin while also laying out to the House what it claims as progress on tackling the housing crisis.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik wrote to Independent TDs late on Monday calling on them to vote against the Government. Their motion states that the Government, by refusing to extend the ban, has made a “deliberate and conscious decision to expose thousands of people to the risk of immediate homelessness”.
In her letter, she says submitting a motion of no confidence is not something which she and her colleagues “have done lightly”.
She said that, based on her recent questioning of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, she expected some extension of the current eviction ban.
“As I said at the weekend, we have seen a catastrophic failure by this Government to deliver on housing — and a temporary extension of the ban would provide breathing space to increase housing supply,” Ms Bacik wrote.
“No one who voted for an Independent at the last general election expected that it would have been a vote for evictions. We have one last chance to stop a tsunami of evictions, by convincing ministers to change their position, and to act to extend the ban.”
There is an “unease” within Government over the level of scrutiny following the decision to lift the ban, a Government source said.
It was also noted among junior ministers that they have been rolled out on radio and TV shows to “take the flak” for their senior colleagues’ decision at Cabinet.
Backbench Government TDs have commented on ministers “gone to ground” with a number of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael junior ministers out defending the Government since late last week and on weekend current affairs shows.
Independent TDs who supported the Government’s decision to end the eviction ban last week have also said they are not sure how they will vote on Wednesday night night on Sinn Féin’s bill which states the eviction ban should be extended until January 2024.
Waterford TD Matt Shanahan said he wants to hear from Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien what progress he has made on the measures agreed by the Regional Independents Group that bolstered the Government’s support last week.
