Less than 24 hours after voting against the Government in a debate concerning her father, EU Commissioner Mr Padraig Flynn, Ms Beverly Cooper-Flynn supported the Government in a Dail division.

The Mayo TD, who will be formally expelled from the Fianna Fail parliamentary party at its next meeting, voted with her party colleagues to accept the Bretton Woods Agreement (Amendment) Bill, which deals with debt relief to developing countries.

The Bill provides for the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF), which was opposed by the leader of the Labour Party and former minister for finance in the previous coalition government, Mr Ruairi Quinn.

Under ESAF provisions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) examines budget deficits, trade balance and the debt burden of a country and implements a programme accordingly.

The Labour Party has opposed the legislation on the grounds that it did not examine the nature of the economy generally, and that it had not implemented programmes particular to the needs of individual countries.

The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, has said the Bill was about "political responsibility and duty" to much poorer countries. It now goes to Committee Stage.