The Government will table a motion of confidence in the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar to counter Sinn Féin’s plans for a ‘no confidence’ motion debate.
The Sinn Féin party will debate the motion in the Dáil today, a week after Varadkar apologised for “errors of judgement” in sharing a copy of an agreement reached between the Government and the Irish Medical Organisation to a rival GP group last year.
Dáil proceedings have now been rearranged to cater for the debate and will move from Leinster House to the Convention Centre this afternoon.
Sinn Féin Chief Whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD has hit out at the goverment’s moves and claimed they are an attempt to distract from the serious issue.
Commenting on the rescheduling announcement yesterday, Deputy Mac Lochlainn: “The government are now proposing a confidence motion in the Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader, Leo Varadkar, that has the intentional effect of dramatically reducing the speaking time available to all Opposition parties and groups and in turn, dramatically increasing government speaking time.
“Sinn Féin and the other Opposition parties and groups put forward alternative scheduling options to the government today but they have rejected them with excuses that don’t stack up.
“It is clear that the government are trying to stymie Opposition voices and are trying to distract from the real issue at hand by playing games with the Dáil schedule.
“The fact is that Leo Varadkar – while he was Taoiseach – disclosed confidential government information to a friend and he can offer no credible reason for his actions. He must be held accountable for that; but Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party clearly want to try and brush this serious issue under the carpet.”
