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AN AMENDED MOTION of confidence in Justice Minister Alan Shatter has passed by 95 votes to 51 in the Dáil tonight.
The motion of ‘confidence’ was put forward by Fine Gael to counter Fianna Fáil’s motion of ‘no confidence’.
Here’s what happened, blow by blow …
Good evening, it’s Órla Ryan here. TheJournal.ie will be keeping you up-to-date on this evening’s debate, as it happens.
Earlier today the Army Bomb Squad was called to Alan Shatter’s home in Dublin, after a package containing ‘white powder and a swastika’ was sent there. Enda Kenny said the incident was “a new low”.
We recently learnt that the Justice Committee will not be holding its own probe into GardaGate.
Flanagan: Shatter has refused to meet with the family of Fr Niall Molloy, who was murdered in 1985.
Clare Daly is speaking now. Says she doesn’t want to speak until Alan Shatter arrives, is told by the Ceann Comhairle she must say her piece now.
Wallace: Kenny is losing credibility by backing Shatter. Why did the government say it was interested in doing things differently? It’s more of the same.
Joe Higgins: Data Commissioner needs to make a statement on phone taping in Garda stations, the government has to move on the Fr. Niall Molloy case.
Fergus O’Dowd is the first Fine Gael TD to speak tonight: praises Shatter’s record.
O’Dowd: We should be talking about the economy and unemployment, not GardaGate and Shatter.
Fine Gael’s Dara Murphy: “There is no minister that has shown the compassion and work ethic that Alan Shatter has”.
Regina Doherty: FF should be “ashamed” of themselves, they’re like Punch and Judy.
Marcella Corcoan Kennedy: Public are not fooled by Fianna Fáil, shares email from a constituent saying “Alan is a good man doing good work.”
Mary Mitchell O’Connor: The people of Ireland are not interested in a personal attack on Alan Shatter … he has a family.
Seán Kyne: Shatter has overseen a reduction in crime and the recruitment of new Gardaí.
Charles Flanagan: Shatter has a “hunger for reform” and has been a “pioneer for change”.
Áodhan O’Ríordán: Praises Shatter for closing St Patrick’s Institution and his work on other issues, but admits his confidence in him has been “shaken” by recent events.
David Stanton: The only complaint I have about Shatter is that he works us too hard. “We don’t always see eye to eye but that’s a good thing.”
Liam Twomey: New legislation will get rid of the few “rotten apples” in the Garda. Shatter is a voice for the vulnerable.
Martin Heydon: Shatter is an “excellent” minister, he thanks him for maintaining defence personnel at 9,500.
Michelle Mulherin: Opposition wants “to bring down the government”. Compares FF to “lunatics”.
Jimmy Deenihan: Shatter is unafraid to tackle difficult issues. He has been involved in 40 pieces of legislation since 2011.
James Reilly: Crime has fallen by 16 per cent since Shatter came to power, including a 10 per cent reduction in homicide.
Reilly: Shatter has pioneered an EU human rights initiative and will oversee Marriage Equality Referendum. “We have the right man in the right job.”
Martin: FG pushed Garda Commissioner Callinan into resignation, without even telling Labour.
Martin: Recent controversies have badly damaged An Garda Síochána, the government can’t distract from this with “spin”.
Martin: Shatter claims credit for everything good but will not take responsibility for anything he does wrong. He blames many things on previous FF governments. He was very “dismissive” of whistleblowers.
Martin: Shatter has a “highly partisan” approach. He apologised to the whistleblowers with the “minimum grace” he could.
Martin: Ian Bailey case “set alarm bells ringing over taping of calls in Garda stations. Callinan was the government’s “fall guy”, Kenny and Shatter showed lack of respect to him.
Martin: Kenny wants to make Callinan the sole focus of attention to take the heat of Shatter and “protect” him.
Martin: Shatter is not as reforming as the government says he is. He has “hidden” from the media for the last month. Ministers “have no right to hide from interviews. What is he so afraid of?”
Martin: If FG and Labour back Shatter tonight, they become as responsible as he is for his actions.
FF’s Timmy Dooley: Shatter can legislate, but cannot manage issues and “deal with them effectively”.
Dooley: Why wasn’t Shatter told of the taping of Garda phone calls on Monday (24 March) morning?
Dooley: It’s “not conceivable” Shatter was unaware of Callinan’s letter on phone tapping in Garda stations.
Dooley: It’s “not conceivable” Shatter was unaware of Callinan’s letter on phone tapping in Garda stations.
McGrath: Attorney General Máire Whelan knew of phone taping in Garda Stations since November 2013. The message is clear, if Shatter has to go so will AG. Callinan went instead – the “sacrificial lamb”.
McGrath: Shatter’s colleagues “will go through the motions” of voting confidence in him but his time is “numbered”.
McGrath: Leo Varadkar was “slapped down” by Kenny for saying Callinan should apologise to whistleblowers. A number of ministers ignored the Taoiseach to do the same. “The wrong man has gone.”
FF’s Billy Kelleher: Did Shatter advise Callinan to withdraw “disgusting” remark? They were “tied at the hip” over GSOC and several other issues.
Kelleher: Kenny has mislead the Dáil over the timeline of events in the Garda phone taping controversy.
Shatter’s list of failures is far longer than his achievements.
He undermined two deputies in the House “for political gain”.
Shatter has to look at himself in the mirror and know it’s his fault Callinan stepped down. The government “sacrified” him.
Noonan: FF is “playing the man, not the ball”. Shatter is “the star player on the opposing team”.
Noonan: The government is not failing, the economy is recovering. FF is forced to attack Shatter to retain “any shred of relevance”.
Noonan: We are “very fortunate” to have Shatter there to guide the establishment of an independent policing authority.
FF’s Charlie McConalogue: Shatter and Kenny need to ask why the Attorney General didn’t share information on phone taping in Garda stations sooner.
The government are trying to get Shatter “out of a hole” while the number of inquires surrounding his department has increased to four.
FF’s Niall Collins: Condemns hatemail sent to Shatter today, but said it’s not relevant to tonight’s debate as “We’ve all received hatemail”.
Collins: Kenny has “betrayed” and “shafted” Callinan. “A body had to thrown under a bus” and the government “grabbed” him. Who’s next?
Collins: FG will hold onto power.
It’s “doubtful” they will “face the music” at the next election, but what’s in it for backbenchers?
Collins: Tells Shatter “It’s not personal, it’s just business and it’s time for you to go.”
Why voting is taking place, here are the results of a poll on a government reshuffle carried out by TheJournal.ie earlier today.
78 per cent of those who voted are in favour of a reshuffle, 16 per cent are against and 4 per cent are unsure.
The voting in action:
… And the results are in on the vote to amend the motion of ‘no confidence’ to one of ‘confidence’.
Yes: 95
No: 51
The motion has been amended.
The motion of ‘confidence’ in Shatter is now being voted on.
While we wait on the result, have a read about an interesting GardaGate FAQ sent to backbenchers last week (via our political editor Hugh O’Connell).
The results of the vote on the amended motion are in:
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