DÁIL VOTES:OPPOSITION PARTIES have sharply attacked the Government for voting down motions to hold the byelections to fill three empty Dáil seats in the constituencies of Donegal South West, Dublin South and Waterford.
One of the Government’s longtime supporters, former Progressive Democrat TD Noel Grealish, voted with the Opposition, but Tipperary South’s deputy Mattie McGrath, who lost the Fianna Fáil whip before the summer, voted last night with the Government.
Senator Paudie Coffey, who is the Fine Gael candidate for the vacancy created by the retirement of former minister Martin Cullen, said later that the voting down of the motion for the Waterford byelection was “extremely disheartening, although not that surprising”.
The indication by Government Chief Whip in the Dáil that the byelections would take place in the first quarter of next year was to be welcomed, but Mr Coffey added that “this, however, will come as little consolation to those on the dole queues who are baying for, and expect, an election before that time”.
Sinn Féin’s candidate in Donegal South West, Senator Pearse Doherty, who has taken a High Court action over the delay in holding the byelection in his constituency, said the Government was “running scared of the people”.
“It is my belief that the Government is acting illegally and in breach of the Constitution and they will face me in court on October 18th if the writ for the Donegal South West byelection is not moved and passed by the Dáil beforehand.
“I have taken my case because the Government has denied the people of Donegal South West their democratic rights for over 15 months now.
“It has been 482 days since the vacancy arose and the Government’s only response has been to extend this delay until next year,” Mr Doherty said.
The Fine Gael candidate for Donegal South West, Cllr Barry O’Neill, who travelled to Dublin to observe the Dáil vote, said he was “hugely disappointed” at the Government’s decision.
He added, however, that he was “delighted that the Fine Gael motion this evening has forced the Government to concede a timeline for the holding of the byelection”.
He criticised Donegal TD Jim McDaid for voting against the writ: “Despite continually attacking the Government on a variety of issues, his loyalty to Fianna Fáil has this evening been exposed.”
Government Chief Whip John Curran told the Dáil the writs for the byelections would be moved in the first quarter of next year.
Three Fine Gael motions to hold the byelections were all defeated by 81 votes to 77.
Mr Grealish, voted with the Opposition, along with former Fianna Fáil TD, now Independent, Joe Behan, from the Wicklow constituency.
Labour education spokesman Ruairí Quinn abstained from voting, in line with his commitment to give a pairing agreement to Tánaiste Mary Coughlan so that she could travel to the US earlier this week on an education trade mission.
John Curran said during the debate that the three byelections would be held “in the first quarter of 2011”, within 18 and 25 days of the writ being moved.
The only Government TD to attend the 20-minute debate, the Chief Whip said holding the byelections any earlier would “divert attention and energy” and could jeopardise move for economic recovery.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny accused the Government of denying democracy, not only to the three constituencies in question but to the people as a whole, claiming that this delay “offends the very nature of our Irishness, our Republic, our possession of our own democracy”.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said that leaving the three constituencies with incomplete representation for such a long time was “simply not acceptable”.
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said: “If the Government is prepared to stand over its savage cuts, then let them face the people in the three byelections this autumn.”