Green Party Suspends Two TDs For Voting With The Opposition

Thursday, 19 May 2022 09:18

By Caoimhe Harney

File image: Rolling news, Senator Pauline O'Reilly

The coalition abstained on Sinn Féin motion calling for hospital to be built on land owned by State.

Two Green Party TDs who voted in support of an Opposition motion on the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) have been suspended from the parliamentary party for six months.

The Coalition’s numbers in the Dáil have been stripped back to a bare majority of 80 as a result of Neasa Houriagan and Patrick Costello backing the Sinn Féin motion, a decision which resulted in them being stripped of the party whip.

While the reduced majority represents a significant blow for the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party administration, Independent TDs often vote with the Government to bolsters the numbers.

The parliamentary party agreed to the proposal last night, after the TD's voted against the government in the Dail.

They backed a non-binding Sinn Fein motion calling for the National Maternity Hospital to be built on public land - it passed after government TDs abstained.

The decision to suspend the two TDs means the government majority in the Dail has now been reduced to one.

Sinn Féin Matt Carthy TD, spoke with Clem Ryan on Thursday morning's Kildare Today:

Green Senator Pippa Hackett says the situation is regretful.

Green Party chairperson, Senator Pauline O'Reilly, says it was a necessary step:

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