It must be a record for a junior Minister to generate two anti-Government Dail motions within a matter of weeks.
First there was the Fine Gael vote of no confidence in Mr John Ellis. Then the Labour Party followed up with a similar assault on Mr John O'Donoghue. But Ms Liz O'Donnell is unapologetic and unbowed.
It is not yet clear what the consequences will be. If dark mutterings within Fianna Fail are anything to go by, there will be retribution . . . eventually. In the meantime, the Progressive Democrats and Ms O'Donnell are seen as a necessary element in the Coalition and she will be tolerated in an increasingly strained atmosphere.
Ms O'Donnell's motivation in all of this has Leinster House denizens in a spin. The usual conspiracy theories are well aired: she is trying to upstage and eventually supplant Mary Harney as party leader; she is trying to expand her influence at Foreign Affairs as David Andrews engages in a pre-retirement lap of honour; and she is creating tensions within Government so as to emphasise the independence of the PDs.
There may be elements of truth in some of those assertions, but she dismisses the notion of interest in the Tanaiste's job. She insists that she was driven by conviction rather than political calculation in making her controversial statements. And her long-standing, passionate advocacy of the humanitarian treatment of refugees would bear out her assertion.
Supporters worry that she has allowed her passion to rule her politics. But such an approach is so refreshing in Irish life that it may work to help the Progressive Democrats and secure her own political future.
As the last TD elected in Dublin South in 1997, when she wrested the seat from Eithne Fitzgerald, she is facing a tough re-election campaign. And Foreign Affairs does not provide much opportunity to connect with the average punter, even though David Andrews was generous in making space for her in the Northern talks.
The Minister of State is not regarded as an assiduous constituency worker. But she had a successful exemplar in the late John Kelly, who managed to return consistently to the Dail without engaging in parish pump politics.
So raise the profile. Be assertive and clear. Pick the high ground. Help yourself and your party - without bringing down the Government.
The first opportunity arose earlier this month at the launch of the revised Programme for Government. Even before Ms O'Donnell was asked about her views on the viability of Mr Ellis's position as chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, she had set up the Progressive Democrats' stall for the coming general election.
It would campaign as a separate, independent party, she said, with its own policies. This time, the sub-text read, there would be no cloying embrace with Fianna Fail. She visibly shocked Dermot Ahern and Seamus Brennan by stating her personal view that Mr Ellis should resign.
That was on Tuesday. By Wednesday Fianna Fail backbenchers were outraged at her impertinence. And John Browne - who is scheduled to replace Mr Ellis as chairman of that committee today - told her publicly to mind her own business.
But the tumbrel was rolling for Mr Ellis. And Ms O'Donnell and the Progressive Democrats were seen to have given it the first shove.
Ten days later, following Mr Ellis's resignation, Ms O'Donnell became the centre of another political storm when she announced the Government's immigration policy was "a shambles" and found the treatment of refugees by the Department of Justice unacceptable. It was the equivalent of an invitation to put down a motion of no confidence in John O'Donoghue. And the Labour Party obliged.
Last night the Minister of State explained herself to the Dail before she voted confidence in Mr O'Donoghue. Her criticisms had not been personalised. They had arisen from her concern - as junior Minister with responsibility for human rights - that the administrative system was failing refugees and they were being left to queue in the cold and rain. Her frustration had boiled over.
Ms O'Donnell's commitment to liberal values is not in question. As Minister responsible for dealing with Kosovar and Bosnian refugees, she became deeply engaged emotionally. And she has been at war for some years with "conservative" elements within the Department of Justice over their attitude to refugees.
On the first occasion, her campaign - supported by Mary Harney - led to a Government decision to allow those refugees who had waited for more than a year to have their status regularised so that they could work. But the regulations were strangled by Department red tape and the uptake was negligible.
This time, firm commitments to change were embedded in the Government motion supporting Mr O'Donoghue. There would be a modern code of immigration and residency laws, and fair and sensible policies would be devised to meet the changing needs of Irish society.
In forcing a hands-on political approach to immigration, Ms O'Donnell took risks. In Ireland personalities, rather than policies, attract media attention. And the focus, yet again, was more on Government split than on immigration policy. A public exchange of harsh words with Ivor Callely didn't help. And Noel Ahern, the Taoiseach's brother, was happy to tell her to stop shouting her mouth off.
There is no evidence that Ms O'Donnell was engaged in a hard cop/soft cop exercise with Ms Harney, allowing the Tanaiste to retain a good working relationship with the Taoiseach in Government while the junior Minister played to the gallery. Her initial interview with the Sunday Business Post is said to have been a solo run.