FIANNA FÁIL TD John McGuinness has said he stands by his position that he would back a motion of no confidence in the government if one was tabled.

Such a move would deviate from party policy which is set out in the confidence and supply arrangement that Fianna Fáil will abstain in confidence votes.

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he would meet Micheál Martin in the new year about setting out a legislative programme for the next couple of months. However, he said he would need assurances from Martin that he could honour the deal between them, and ensure his party members abstain when needed.

“Fianna Fáil is a problem too, internally there are members of Fianna Fáil who has said that they won’t support this approach and will vote against the government in any future conference motion,” he said. 

“So, I would need to get the assurance from Micheal Martin that he actually has support of his party for this. And if he’s going to have dissidents in his party that go against the whip that he will able to provide people who counterbalance that, perhaps by voting with us on motions rather than abstaining.”

Varadkar said he would need to know that if they reach an agreement in the new year that Micheál Martin actually has the support of all of his party for it.

“I know if I come to an agreement on extending confidence and supply through to April or May, I’m confident I will have unanimous support from my parliamentary party for that. Given what has been said by John McGuinness, and there may be others, it is reasonable for us to say that we don’t know that Fianna Fáil is united behind their leader on this issue and we would need to know that,” Varadkar continued .

“There is no point in coming up to an agreement with Fianna Fáil only to find that there is a breakdown within Fianna Fáil and they can’t honour their side of it.”

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, McGuinness said that he would only support motions of no confidence in the entire government, and not motions against individual ministers. It is expected that opposition parties may submit one against Health Minister Simon Harris in early 2020.

“Individual votes of no confidence is one thing, but supporting the government? I don’t support it. I don’t believe they are going in the right direction. And I think that as an opposition, we have to state that bluntly and clearly,” said McGuinness.

When asked specifically about whether he would back motions against ministers, he said:

“No, I said if a motion of no confidence came up in the government that I would vote for that motion, that’s my position. And I’ve said it more than once in the Dáil, I don’t know why the last time I said it it was picked up, I’ve said it previously, and I have absolutely no difficulty in taking that position.

“I don’t think it’s a thing for ministers, I think its the case that they all sit around the Cabinet, it is not one person off on a tangent on his own or her own, it is the government. And that’s what people need to focus on. The government are making these decisions, and they’re not decisions that are working out favorably for the people that we all represent,” he added.

“And within that, I want to set out what I believe. I’m not going to sit on my hands in the Dail and say, ‘this is a great idea’. It’s not a great idea,” he said.

In terms of why Martin has continued with the confidence and supply arrangement for so long, he said:

“We had to make it work for the first 12 months. But it’s gotten to the point now where instead of arguing about policy, we are arguing about what day or week we might call the election.

“The Brexit issue was there, there was other issues, but quite frankly, Britain caused the Brexit issue and they still had a general election. We should be looking after our own affairs and our own people, while acknowledging the dangers around that, but you don’t put everything in suspension.”

Insurance woes

McGuinness has been a vocal advocate in Leinster House for homeowners facing repossession, as well as small businesses impacted by the rising cost of insurance.

He said government has turned its back on these issues, and failed to help those most in need.

“We’re heading into an awful time now for people who are indebted to the banks, because they’re queuing up in courts all over the country fighting the repossession of their homes.
And there’s no real solution being offered by politics, by governments, not just by government, but by most of the big parties. They’re face of the courts on their own. They’re feeling isolation from the system,” he said.

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Years and years of people’s lives are being lost, and it’s affecting their children too, he said.

“When they look to this House [Leinster House] for some sort of solution, they’re getting nothing. On the other hand, the vulture funds are running riot all over the country. They are now giving eviction notices to people who are living in apartment complexes that they bought because they want to resell them with vacant possession.”

He said vulture funds are not acknowledging their obligations under the Central Bank rules. Last week at the Oireachtas Finance Committee meeting, members were told that 35 vulture funds had complied in some way with the Central Bank regulations.

“But in one building alone there are 150 registered funds, and that is only one building, there are lots of other buildings all over Dublin, there are brass plates everywhere. It’s a huge problem because the funds now own substantial residential and commercial property and they are transforming the landscape of Ireland, in the context of the ownership of properties,” he said.

McGuinness said nobody knows how vulnerable the vulture funds are, stating that  they’re subject to market fluctuations and US-based.

“They have absolutely no regard for regulation, no regard for the people being kicked out of their homes. And there seems to be an unwillingness on the side of politics to deal with it,” he said.

The Carlow-Kilkenny TD said people are fed up with big industry being protected while the everyday person suffers.

If after the next election Fianna Fáil is in government, would he like a seat on the frontbench?

“If I get elected in the next election I will play any role that I am given, even if it’s the role of being a backbench TD. I’ve long since got away from the idea of pursuing an ambition of making a difference through various ministerial offices.

“I believe that speaking about the issues in a constructive way is as good as anyone else here in the House, be they be a minister or a junior minister, so playing a constructive role is about being elected and not forgetting where you came from.”