Government facing no confidence motion in the Dáil next week

SINN FÉIN WILL table a motion of no confidence in the government that will be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday and Wednesday night of next week.

The motion of no confidence in the Fine Gael-Labour coalition has been tabled as part of private members’ business and will be debated over two nights in the Dáil before a vote is called on the Wednesday night.

It comes in the wake of this week’s Budget which has been heavily criticised by all opposition parties including Sinn Féin which is planning a number of protests against measures contained in the Budget in the coming days and weeks.

The full text of the motion, signed by all of the party’s TDs, says:

That Dáil Éireann has no confidence in the Fine Gael and Labour coalition Government; who have failed to fulfill their obligations to make political decisions and choices which benefit the citizens of this State.

The government’s majority will ensure the motion has no chance of passing but it will give the opposition parties a chance to express their dissatisfaction with the government and force the government to defend its record over two nights in the Dáil chamber.

It is not yet clear whether Fianna Fáil will support the motion of no confidence with the party likely to make their position known next week.

However, the Fianna Fáil senator Thomas Byrne has made his feelings known on Twitter this evening, saying: “Amateur Hour in the Dáil next week #sinnfein,” adding in a response to one tweeter: “They’re clueless”.

Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell was equally as critical, tweeting: “I have no confidence in Sinn Fein picking a good time to table a no confidence motion, none at all.”

In fact as TheJournal.ie explained recently Dáil procedures mean that the government can replace an opposition motion with one more favourable to its position.

Previously: TDs won’t get to vote on Sinn Féin’s abortion motion. Here’s why

Read: Dáil cannot hear another motion of no confidence in Reilly until March