Government officially regains Dáil majority after Hourigan and Costello readmitted into Green Party fold

The Government has officially regained its Dáil majority after Neasa Hourigan and Patrick Costello were readmitted into the Green Party fold.

The Coalition’s numbers now stand at 81, a majority of one Dáil seat.

Both Ms Hourigan and Mr Costello applied to rejoin the parliamentary party earlier this week.

The matter was discussed by Green TDs and Senators on Wednesday evening and the party later confirmed that their readmittance was approved.

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The pair had lost the party whip for six months for voting against the Government in a Sinn Féin Dáil motion on the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) in May.

The Sinn Féin motion had called for public ownership of the NMH site.

It was the subsequent resignation of Donegal TD Joe McHugh from the Fine Gael party whip after he voted against Government legislation underpinning the Mica redress scheme that saw the Coalition lose its Dáil majority.

Ex-Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry had previously quit his parliamentary party in 2021.

The loss of a majority did not impact on the Government’s work.

It comfortably won a Dáil vote on a motion of confidence in the Dáil in July with the support of some Independent TDs and deputies who had lost Coalition party whips, including Ms Hourigan and Mr Costello.

Elsewhere Taoiseach Micheál Martin updated his party on the Government’s efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

He said that the Cabinet agreed this week to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to acquire land to deliver social and affordable housing.

Mr Martin told his party that the Government will next week approve an increase in the eligibility thresholds for social housing which will assist many families who will be able to apply for social housing early next year.

He also spoke of plans to amend the Planning Act to allow the acceleration of social and affordable housing on state land.

The Fianna Fáil meeting was also told that the Credit Union Bill will be published by Minister of State Seán Fleming shortly.

Mr Martin said this will “comprehensively enhance” the network of credit unions across the country.

He signaled announcements will be forthcoming next week in relation to his Shared Island initiative in the areas of the arts, biodiversity and climate action.

Separately, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar briefed Fine Gael TDs and Senators on the Government’s decision to introduce a windfall tax on energy companies.

He said it will produce a revenue stream that previously didn’t exist and could be used next year to provide help to business and households with energy costs if they do not come down by then.

Mr Varadkar said the yield from the windfall tax could be anything between €300m and €1.9bn depending on the price of gas.

He also spoke about the CSO’s latest Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) report, which show that more households are unable to make ends meet this year compared to 2021.

The meeting was told the results are stark and mark a reversal of progress made in preceding years.

Mr Varadkar said it shows that the cost of living crisis is “biting hard” and the number of people unable to keep their homes warm, buy new clothes or have an evening out has increased.

He listed measures brought in to put “more money in people’s pockets” such as tax cuts, energy credits, increasing pensions and raising welfare payments.

The meeting was told that such Budget measures, some of which have yet to take effect, would not have been fully reflected in the survey.

Mr Varadkar said more help is on the way and is needed.

TDs and Senators also heard that the centenary of the foundation of the Free State takes place on December 6th and Fine Gael will hold an event to mark the day.