FF: It would be 'crazy' to support no-confidence motion and force snap election at Christmas
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he has 100% confidence in Eoghan Murphy after a Dáil motion of no confidence was tabled against the Housing Minister.
Social Democrats TDs will table the motion next week and have admitted it would be wrong not to challenge the Government on the housing crisis - especially with by-elections taking place tomorrow.
If the opposition were to win the motion, this could trigger a snap general election which could be held as early as Christmas week or early January. But Fianna Fáil will not collapse the coalition by supporting it.
"What I can tell you with absolute certainty is that motions of confidence aren't going to build any houses," Mr Varadkar said.
"However, Mr Murphy, is implementing our plan for housing and it is delivering houses. We know this year over 20,000 new homes have been built more than any year in a decade. And we know when it comes to social housing for example, that about 10,000 has been added to the social housing stock this year, more than any year."
Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy dismissed claims that moving the motion was an “election stunt” and insisted that the crisis must be addressed.
She said, even if there was an election on December 27 or after, more than 10,000 people will be in emergency accommodation,
“People are not willing to continue suspending their lives by way of [paying] huge rents; not being able to afford it."
She said around 10,000 people are homeless; people on good incomes are not able to afford to purchase a house and there is no security of tenure and no light at the end of the tunnel in relation to this.
“We have put down a number of solutions over the last couple of years. And really nothing is being taken up by government. And this is the opportunity that's available to us to actually table the motion of no confidence," Ms Murphy said.
Sinn Féin said it would support the motion, but Fianna Fáil told the Irish Examiner it would be “crazy” to force a snap general election during Christmas week and its housing spokesman Darragh O'Brien said it would be “irresponsible” given the next looming Brexit deadline of January 31 and the British election next month.
Party leader Micheál Martin had already indicated there was no desire for a general election until after Easter.
We won't support this. It would end up with an election during Christmas. It is a cynical publicity stunt.
Ms Murphy disagreed. “There's a real anger out there. We can't keep postponing this. This is not about us. This is not about Dáil arithmetic. This is about a really critical issue that we can't postpone it any longer.”
