Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien easily survived a motion of no confidence in him tabled by opposition group People Before Profit in the Dáil tonight.
In fact, a last minute decision by Cabinet meant that the Dáil actually ended up voting confidence in Mr O’Brien after the Government changed the agenda to change the motion of no confidence, into a confidence one.
Speaking in defence of his record in the Dáil during the debate, Micheál Martin opened the motion.
The Taoiseach said: “When you put aside the angry bluster and populist nonsense, you see a hard-working and creative Minister who has led his Department well in the past two and a half years.
“He has substantially changed the direction of housing policy, introducing a new era of building social and affordable homes, and is implementing the first comprehensive programme for action, not just on one or two elements of the housing sector but on every element.
“What is more, this action is starting to work.
“In spite of being directly and personally targeted by Opposition parties and their online trolls, he has won every debate on this topic, exposing the vacuum which lies behind the mock anger and book-length emptiness of those who pretend to care about housing but just see it as another topic to exploit.”
Sinn Féin opposed the Government’s confidence motion in Mr O’Brien.
Leader Mary Lou McDonald said: “Sinn Féin does not have confidence in Deputy Darragh O'Brien as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Opposition in this Dáil does not have confidence in the housing Minister and, more important, the people do not have confidence in him.
“How could they have confidence in a housing minister who, with a straight face, says we do not have a housing emergency, or in a Minister who has turned to denial when the consequences of his failures are writ large in the everyday lives of people, who, despite doing everything right, still cannot put a secure, affordable roof over their heads?”
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