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Politics

03rd Dec 2019

Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy survives vote of no confidence

Carl Kinsella

Eoghan Murphy

Eoghan Murphy will continue in his role as Minister for Housing.

Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has survived a second vote of no confidence in as many years. On Tuesday evening, TDs in Dáil Éireann voted not to remove Murphy from office by a margin of 56-53.

The motion had been tabled by Roisin Shortall of the Social Democrats. Labour, Greens, Soc Dems and Sinn Féin all voted no confidence in the minister, who is a TD for Dublin Bay South.

Thomas Pringle, an independent TD who would have voted against Murphy, was absent due to a previous engagement.

Independent TDs including Noel Grealish, Michael Lowry and Denis Naughten threw their weight behind the government, securing a crucial escape for Murphy. Fianna Fáil, who are propping up the Fine Gael government through a confidence and supply arrangement abstained from the vote, effectively allowing Murphy to remain in his position.

According to figures published earlier today, homelessness in Ireland has now increased to 10,514, including over 3,000 children.

This is the second vote of no confidence that Murphy has faced during his time as housing minister. In 2018, a motion put forward by Sinn Féin also failed.

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