Sinn Féin will bring the motion to Cabinet ministers on Monday.
A motion of no-confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy will be debated on Tuesday following Sinn Féin’s confirmation some three weeks ago that they had planned to table such a vote during this Dáil term.
The party – who have criticised Murphy’s handling of the worsening homelessness crisis in recent weeks – met for their annual 48-hour conference earlier in the month to discuss a number of major items on the political agenda.
It was at this, their first national think-in under leader Mary Lou McDonald, that the party decided to table a motion of no confidence in the Housing Minister, who has faced accusations of being an out-of-touch “posh boy” in recent weeks.
This topic was then amplified when, earlier in the week, fellow Fine Gael Minister Catherine Byrne told ministerial colleagues she too is considering supporting a motion of no confidence in Murphy.
This, allegedly, is due to the fact that Byrne and Murphy have maintained long-standing arguments over the building of new homes in Byrne’s constituency of Inchicore.
— Catherine Byrne (@CByrneMoS) September 24, 2018
Back in August, a Dublin based housing agency called outright for Murphy’s resignation.
In a public letter shared online, the Dublin Central Housing Action announced that there was “now no alternative course open to us but to call for your resignation,” the letter reads, written in red font.
“After 14 months in office, the housing crisis has only gotten worse and it is abundantly clear that you are unfit to hold office as Minister.”
Figures released earlier this year showed that a record number of people in Ireland were homeless in June. The same figures also revealed that child homelessness rose 35% at the end of Eoghan Murphy’s first full year as housing minister.
The motion – set to be debated in the Dáil at 8pm – is expected to go in Murphy’s favour, as it is likely that the Government and Fianna Fáil are likely to abstain from voting.
Party leader Micheál Martin has said his party will not support the Sinn Féin motion.
However, frustration appears to be growing among Cabinet members.
“We feel the time is right, there is growing anger as is evident by the numbers of people mobilising in the streets in Dublin last weekend – and a very significant crowd of people that expect to attend the Irish Congress of Trade Unions rally in front of the Dáil on 3 October,” Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin O’Broin said.
“So I think there’s a broad sense out there that Eoghan Murphy isn’t up for the job, that his policy is failing and we need to see change.
“And we feel this motion is the best way to force that change on Government”.
Main image via Eoghan Murphy Facebook
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