MICHEAL MCNAMARA, THE Labour TD who was expelled from his parliamentary party yesterday, will be taken off the Health Committee despite only becoming a member of it on Wednesday.
The Clare deputy lost the Labour whip yesterday afternoon after voting against the government on the Dáil motion to approve the sale of the state’s 25.1 per cent stake in Aer Lingus.
As a result, Labour is to remove him from his positions on a number of Oireachtas committees, including Agriculture and Health. McNamara had only been added to the Health Committee on Wednesday as a replacement for Robert Dowds.
However, Labour chief whip Emmet Stagg confirmed this morning that McNamara loses all committee memberships regardless of his length of service.
The TD had been particularly keen to work on the committee having drafted legislation on fatal foetal abnormalities.
The committee is due to consider the issue of abortion in cases where children with fatal foetal conditions will not survive past birth in the coming months.
McNamara has previously said his bill is more restrictive than legislation proposed by Clare Daly that was recently voted down in the Dáil.
The bill includes a definition of fatal foetal abnormalities and would allow for two obstetricians to be involved in the abortion cases before a final decision is made.
McNamara also loses his current office in the Labour wing of Leinster House and now faces an uncertain future within the party.
He is keen to be selected as its general candidate in Clare with a selection convention due to take place in July. Labour sources have indicated an application to rejoin the parliamentary party would be considered in advance of the next election.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say