A day of unexpected political drama is in prospect after the Government tabled a Dáil motion of confidence in Tánaiste Simon Harris.
The motion is an apparent bid to offset the risk of a debate on disabilities next week, the final week of campaigning in the presidential election.
As Jack Horgan-Jones and Sarah Burns report, it comes after Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said on Tuesday that his party would next week table a no-confidence motion in Mr Harris over controversies in Children’s Health Ireland and waiting times for scoliosis surgery.
Such a motion is usually replaced by a motion of confidence in a Minister put down by the Government.
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Late on Tuesday, party whips were informed that the Coalition will put down a confidence motion in Mr Harris at 1.12pm on Wednesday, with a vote to follow at 3.30pm.
The move comes amid concern among some in the Coalition that lengthy Dáil debates on the Government’s disabilities record could dominate coverage in the days before the vote for the presidency next Friday.
Ministers are protected from facing more than one confidence motion in a six-month period.
Sources suggested Aontú could change tack and use its Dáil time next week to put down a motion of no confidence in the entire Government rather than Mr Harris as part of a bid to keep disabilities central to the final week of campaigning.
Were this done, it would lead to two confidence debates on the same topic in two weeks.
Occupied Territories Bill back on the agenda
In our lead today Political Editor Pat Leahy reports that the Government is said to be increasingly unlikely to include trade in services in the scope of the Occupied Territories Bill, which is intended to ban trade in goods with companies operating from the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel.
Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “the feedback I’m getting, it’s not just implementable”.
The proposed Bill already includes a ban on trade in goods, but including services in the Bill is a key demand of pro-Palestinian campaigners and Opposition parties. Tánaiste Simon Harris has said he wants to include a ban on services if it is legally possible. In the Dáil, Mr Martin said he needed to discuss the matter with the Tánaiste.
Mr Harris has repeatedly said he agrees with people who want to include services under the provisions of the Bill – but has also said that the Government needs to get the advice of Attorney General Rossa Fanning on whether this is legally possible.
It is understood while the issue has been discussed at the highest level in Government, no formal advice has been issued and no firm decision has been made. But there is no expectation among some senior figures that the Bill will be amended to include services.
Best reads
On the Opinion pages Kathy Sheridan looks at the presidential election and writes that Catherine Connolly should ask Jim Gavin what a smear campaign looks like.
Miram Lord’s column is headlined: Winter may be coming, but Opposition not short of fuel to roast the Taoiseach.
In her report from the Dáil, Marie O’Halloran reports how Taoiseach Micheál Martin said energy companies will keep “gouging” customers if the Government keeps providing credits to domestic customers.
After last night’s 1-0 win for the Republic of Ireland against Armenia, Ken Early writes: “There is still a small chance that Ireland can snatch an implausible World Cup qualification, but playing like this, do we really even want to?”
Playbook
The presidential election candidates, Independent TD Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, will be back on the campaign trail today.
TDs have an opportunity to raise topical issues in the Dáil from 9am.
The Independent and Parties Technical Group has a Private Members’ motion on reform of the defective concrete redress scheme. which will be debated at 10am.
Leaders’ Questions is at noon.
The Government has tabled a motion of confidence in Tánaiste Simon Harris in response to Aontú signalling its intention to put down a motion of no confidence in Mr Harris next week. The debate starts at 1.12pm.
There will be statements on tillage in the afternoon from 4.37pm.
A debate on the budget will resume at 8.09pm.
There is to be a debate on the Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill 2025 from 10.34pm.
The weekly Dáil votes are scheduled for 1.34am.
The Seanad will continue its committee-stage debate on the Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024 at 1pm.
Government business in the Seanad is statements on the All-island Rail Review from 4.30pm.
There is a Private Members’ motion on the cost of childcare to be debated from 6pm.
The Committee on Social Protection will examine the issue of child poverty at 9.30am.
Also at 9.30am the Committee on Disability Matters will look at “autonomy and integrity for persons with disabilities” and hear from representatives of the Courts Service and the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities.
The Committee on Transport will hear from the National Transport Authority, Bus Éireann and the Coach Tourism and Transport Council on the topic of rural bus transport, from 9.30am.
The Committee on Health meets at 9.30am to discuss the treatment of rare diseases.
At 12.30pm the Committee on Enterprise is to get a briefing on pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025. It will hear from officials from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment as well as Fáilte Ireland.
Also at 12.30pm the Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy will hear from the business sector on climate change targets. Employers’ group Ibec is due in as are representatives from Chambers Ireland.
The Committee on Sport will examine the issue of integrating the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association with the Gaelic Athletic Association. The meeting starts at 1.15pm.
The Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery will discuss the role of the private construction sector in delivering national infrastructure. Representatives of the Construction Industry Federation and some building companies are due before TDs and Senators at 3.30pm.
The full Dáil, Seanad and Committee schedules can be found here.
