Local TDs 'in hiding' ahead of no confidence vote - Carthy

Cavan-Monaghan TD urges others to 'listen to their own voters'

SINN Féin TD Matt Carthy says Independent, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs are “in hiding” from their constituents ahead of a no confidence vote on the government this afternoon.

Deputy Carthy’s Sinn Fein party tabled the motion of no confidence which will be debated and voted on in the Dáil at 2:30.

Independent Ireland who has four TDs and the Social Democrats who has 11 seats have also indicated they would vote against the government. If those members and Sinn Féin’s 39 TDs vote as expected, then that is 54 votes of no confidence in the current government.

The 34th Dáil is made up of 174 TDs representing 43 constituencies. Today’s government is a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Independents coalition.

Most analysts suggest the government will "handsomely win" the confidence vote. For the government to fall, a significant number of backbenchers or government-aligned Independents would need to break ranks, which is considered unlikely at this stage of the Dáil's term.

Fianna Fáil is the largest party with 48 TDs, Fine Gael has 38 and there are 16 Independents in government. Five of the Independents also hold junior ministerial roles, which, they are unlikely to vote themselves out of. If the coalition votes as they are expected – to keep themselves in power – then they have a majority of 102 votes.

With this majority, the coalition has already defeated no confidence motions like the one against Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy following the Dáil speaking rights row last year.

The full breakdown of the current Dáil is as follows:

Fianna Fáil - 48 TDs

Sinn Féin - 39

Fine Gael - 38

Independents - 16

Labour - 11

Social Democrats - 11

PBP-Solidarity - 3

Aontú - 2

Independent Ireland - 4

Green Party - 1

100% Redress Party - 1

So, even if all the opposition TDs vote against the government, their total number of votes only make 72 to the coalition’s 102 and there will be no change at the top.

Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy said coalition TDs “know what their constituents want but are voting for their parties”.

“The Independent, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs are in hiding in Cavan-Monaghan,” Deputy Carthy told the Celt.

“They are not taking calls, I’m told. People are saying they can’t get through to their TD,” he elaborated.

When the Celt suggested voters elected the representatives we now have, Deputy Carthy said people were “misled” by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

“During the last general election Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael misled people,” he said, “They told people they were aware of the cost-of-living crisis and were dealing with it and in the budget before the election, they put packages and measures in to tackle the issues people are facing.

“They made promises before the election but in the next budget there was no cost-of-living packages and working families were worse off.

“The pressures became too much for ordinary working people and that’s how we ended up with protests on the streets,” he added.

“Whether TDs do what their constituents want this time remains to be seen.”