Minister Simon Coveney Survives Dáil Confidence Motion.

Sligo/Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry resigned the Fianna Fáil whip and voted against the Government.

Minister Simon Coveney survived a confidence motion in the Dáil last night, but the coalition is down a member.

TD Marc MacSharry resigned the Fianna Fáil whip and voted against the Government.

Our Political Correspondent Seán Defoe reports:

"In the end it was very comfortable for Simon Coveney - winning the confidence motion 92 votes to 59.

He managed to draw in the votes of 14 Independents, including some who don't always support the Government like the Healy Rae brothers, Michael Fitzmaurice, Marian Harkin, Michael McNamara and Richard O'Donoghue.

But the coalition comes away with scars.

Sligo/Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry resigned the Fianna Fáil whip and voted against the Government.

Though some in Fianna Fáil think Taoiseach Micheál Martin won't be sorry to see him go - as MacSharry made it clear at every party meeting for months he wasn't supportive of his party leader.

The other main Fianna Fáil rebel John McGuinness wasn't present for last nights vote.

Former Minister Barry Cowen did deliver a warning to his coalition colleagues that Fianna Fáil is far from united behind Simon Coveney, and this was last chance saloon for the Ministers involved in the Zappone controversy.

But the coalition will now try to put this in the past, after a turbulent first day back in Leinster House. "

Aoife Moore: Dáil mud-slinging is like 'Wagon Wheel' at a country wedding  https://t.co/MROc7wu69d

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) September 15, 2021

During last night's debate Simon Coveney criticised Sinn Féin for pushing a confidence motion in the first place:

Sinn Fein says it has absolutely no regrets for putting down the motion in the first place.

Sligo-Leitrim TD Martin Kenny has accused Minister Coveney of acting as though it's the 1970s:

MacSharry has told the Taoiseach that Fianna Fáil policy was "being determined in a fashion consistent with an undemocratic totalitarian regime" https://t.co/c3GuWwy9CP

— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) September 15, 2021

Marc MacSharry says Fianna Fáil is a one-man show.

In a letter to the Taoiseach, Deputy MacSharry said the party's positioning and policy is being determined in an undemocratic, totalitarian way.

It's the first time in the history of the Sligo-Leitrim constituency that it isn't represented by a Fianna Fáil TD.

Speaking to Ocean FM, Deputy MacSharry says no leader of the party has acted like Micheal Martin

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