“A genuine error was made in the Dáil chamber last night.”
The Dáil has passed a Sinn Féin motion on affordable housing after the Government forgot to vote on its counter-motion.
The non-binding private members’ bill calls on the Government to double capital investment in homes and build 20,000 social homes a year.
The motion is seeking that affordable housing should be delivered for €230k in Dublin instead of the €450k figure suggested by Government.
However, when it came to a vote to move the Government’s counter-motion, no vote was recorded and the bill was passed.
The private members’ bill was brought by the party’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin.
Junior Minister at the Department of Housing Malcolm Noonan had been expected to move a Government counter-motion, however, he did not do so and also did not oppose the Sinn Féin motion.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Junior Minister Seán Fleming has since said that Noonan made a “human error” on Tuesday evening.
“A genuine error was made in the Dáil chamber last night,” said Fleming.
“Minister Malcolm Noonan was there deputising for Minister Darragh O’Brien and when it came time to call the vote, he made an error and the vote wasn’t called – It was a human error on the night.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan were in the chamber and also did not oppose the motion.
Chief Whip Jack Chambers would have been responsible for administering the whipping system that tries to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.
Ó Broin took to Twitter after the vote to describe the event as “embarrassing” as three Government Ministers in the chamber didn’t vote for their own amendment to the motion.
“Well, that was embarrassing. Three Govt Ministers in the chamber didn’t vote for Govt amendment to the SF motion on affordable housing,” he penned.
“Nor did they vote against the SF motion. So our proposal to double capital investment to deliver 20,000 homes to meet social and affordable need passed!”
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