Fine Gael to heap pressure on Cowen with no-confidence vote
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Monday June 08 2009
FINE Gael will heap pressure on battered Taoiseach Brian Cowen tomorrow by tabling a Dail motion of no confidence in his government.
The move will test the Government's shrinking majority after George Lee pulled off a stunning victory in Dublin South to take the seat of former government minister Seamus Brennan.
New Dublin Central TD Maureen O'Sullivan will have to nail her colours to the mast and will most likely vote no confidence after holding Tony Gregory's former seat as an Independent.
Government Chief Whip Pat Carey would still expect to have a majority of five in the confidence vote, if mauled Green Party and allied Independents hold to their commitments.
"The Government will be submitting an amendment expressing the confidence of the Dail in the Government. I would expect that to be carried," he said.
Fine Gael believes the motion will help to lever expectation of an early general election after the party made an historic breakthrough to become the largest political organisation across the country.
"The people have voted for us, and made us the largest party with the largest number of seats," party leader Enda Kenny declared, insisting the Government now no longer retained a mandate to remain in office.
He said the Coalition had lost both authority and credibility. "That's why I will move a motion of no confidence in this Government."
The tabling targets not just the Government parties, but also Independents Jackie Healy Rae and Michael Lowry.
The motion will be taken in Fine Gael private members' time, and is likely to be voted upon on Wednesday night.
"The people have no confidence in them, now it's a question for the active members of the Dail," said party frontbencher Brian Hayes.
Buoyant
A buoyant Mr Kenny predicted that the local, by-election and European results had made an early general election inevitable.
He paid tribute in particular to George Lee's "spectacular" victory in Dublin South, in which he was elected on the first count with a monumental 53.4pc of the vote.
It was the first by-election win on the first count since Brian Cowen succeeded to the seat of his late father Ber in Laois-Offaly in 1984.
"The people have endorsed George in a magnificent way," Mr Kenny said, as Labour's Alex White beat Shay Brennan of Fianna Fail into third place.
There was worse for Fianna Fail in Dublin Central, where Maurice Ahern, the brother of the former Taoiseach, was beaten into a humiliating fifth place as Maureen O'Sullivan was swept into the Dail.
Schoolteacher Ms O'Sullivan, the former election agent for Tony Gregory, was elected on the eighth count, but had established her claim by topping the poll ahead of Paschal Donohoe of Fine Gael.
Labour's Ivana Bacik claimed third place, but the major shock was Christy Burke of Sinn Fein gaining more first preferences than Maurice Ahern, as Fianna Fail's share of the vote slipped to just 12pc.
The public rejection of Maurice Ahern also looked like a deliberate message aimed at his famous brother. In the parallel council elections, the same voters put Ahern rival Mary Fitzpatrick at the top of the poll, while leaving Maurice scrambling for support.
But the day belonged to Ms O'Sullivan, who said she believed Tony Gregory would have a "wry smile" at the outcome. She had almost heard him in her head as she campaigned, she said, offering advice on what decisions to take.
She said she intended to be a community-focussed TD who would look to the needs of ordinary people. She had given no consideration to the no confidence vote, but would sit down with her helpers and advisers to plan the way forward.
Both new TDs will make their Dail debuts tomorrow.
- Senan Molony Deputy Political Editor
