politics

Suspension of Green TDs leaves government on shaky ground as handover approaches

Nessa Hourigan and Patrick Costello both broke with the government position by voting for Sinn Féin’s motion on the National Maternity Hospital

Nessa Hourigan with her party leader Eamon Ryan. The Green Party Dublin Central TD has been suspended from the parliamentary party along with Patrick Costello, the Dublin South Central TD. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Taoiseach Micheál Martin recently promised a group of business people that he would keep trying to deliver stable government in these uncertain times but his coalition government’s once stable majority has now been reduced to just one vote, following the disciplining of two rebel Green Party TDs.

“While we can’t remove uncertainty, in particular from external developments, government will seek to provide as much stability as possible on those issues within our control,” the Taoiseach ...