Updated 22:35
The Housing Minister has survived a motion of no confidence in the Dáil.
Following a fiery debate on the motion put forward by Sinn Féin, 59 deputies supported Minister Eoghan Murphy and 49 said they had no confidence in him, with 29 abstaining.
However following a request from Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh the motion was put to a manual vote - which the Government won again.
It came after Minister Murphy's Fine Gael colleague Catherine Byrne confirmed she would support him.
During the debate, Minister Murphy insisted he would not be “hounded out of office” by Sinn Féin and claimed “real progress is being made” in fighting the housing crisis.
"Failure"
Opening the debate this evening, Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said it is clear that it is now time for Minister Murphy to resign his position.
"The fact that Eoghan Murphy can't even see the failure in front of him demonstrates why he must go," he said.
"His blind defence of Rebuilding Ireland is proof of how out of touch and how out of depth he really is.
"It confirms beyond any doubt that he is now an obstacle to addressing the real causes of this crisis."
Sinn Féin's Motion of No Confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is about to get underway in the Dáil. The Minister claims that we have no policy alternatives
Sinn Féin has produced fully costed budgets and a raft of policy proposals and Bills that he has chosen to ignore pic.twitter.com/6DWSbtWpgL
— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) September 25, 2018
He noted that when Minister Murphy was appointed he "wanted him to succeed and that if he implemented the right policies I would commend him."
"I also said I would hold him to account if he pursued the wrong options," he said.
"Minister Murphy and his housing policy have failed."
"The buck stops with the Minister and he must take responsibility for this crisis.
"He says that this crisis cannot be solved overnight and he is correct.
"But Fine Gael has been in Government for seven long years - this is their crisis as much as it is Fianna Fáil’s."
In his speech, Minister Murphy lashed out at Sinn Féin for tabling the motion and accused it of failing to bring forward solutions of its own.
“I won’t be distracted by populist nonsense that contributes nothing to the challenges that we face,” he said.
“I won’t be hounded out of office by personalised ad campaigns and personalised attacks against me.
“I know people are hurting [...] but if we ignore the progress that has been made; if we ignore it for political gain or to try and feed some sort of public outrage or outcry for our own political benefit then we risk making the mistakes of the past.
“We risk throwing out the good and replacing it with the failed policies that didn’t work before - like building giant social housing estates that only serve to divide communities rather than unite and support them.
“I won’t be responsible for that. I will not be responsible for damning another generation by making populist short-term decisions.
For example: We have proposed a doubling of capital investment in social and affordable housing. We have outlined how to deliver these homes more quickly. We have published detailed proposals on how to get vacant homes back into use - to name a few. #Dáil pic.twitter.com/fpgIzBp2qd
— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) September 25, 2018
He insisted Government policy on housing is working but pointed out that “it can be improved and everyone is free to come forward in this Oireachtas and present their alternatives for debate and for agreement.”
“This was Sinn Féin’s great opportunity to bring forward their housing plan and to show the people of this republic what positive contribution they have made,” he said.
“In the motion they have written and in the shallow soundbites they have given tonight they have not done that.
“I think the public, and I think this crisis, and I think this Dáil deserves better than that.”
O'Broin says it's time for @MichealMartinTD to "put up or shut up" when it comes to the housing crisis. Says he's too afraid of an election to stand up to the Taoiseach
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) September 25, 2018
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Drug Strategy Catherine Byrne confirmed she would support her fine Gael colleague in the vote.
“Today I had positive and constructive discussions with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister Eoghan Murphy,” she said.
“I believe that for any new housing development to be successful, investment in proper planning and community facilities is essential.
“We all want to live in a sustainable and safe community.
“I will be supporting my Government colleague this evening.
She said she is confident that the Government can agree a plan to “the socio-economic needs of the Inchicore/Kilmainham area and create a stable and vibrant community for generations to come.”
In recent days, she hinted behind the scenes that she may vote against the Government or abstain in a continuing dispute over Minister Murphy's plans for a major housing development in her constituency.
Yesterday she noted that “this city needs more housing both social and affordable” but voiced her opposition to the redevelopment of St Michael’s Estate in Inchicore.
I do not believe the proposal for a large-scale high density apartment development – which would be a major pilot for the cost-rental model in this country – is the right choice for this site,” she said.
She said Inchicore is “currently battling huge social problems on a daily basis” and said investment in the area is needed before any development can begin.
Minister of State Catherine Byrne
Earlier, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned Minister Byrne not to vote against the Government and hit out at Sinn Féin for tabling the motion.
“We all know what is happening here,” he said.
“The Dáil is back; Sinn Féin is looking to score some political points so they put down a motion – a motion that is just pure politics.
“Tactical, cynical, personalised and ineffective.
“There is one thing that is absolutely certain. The Sinn Féin motion that is put down tonight – if passed – will not house a single person.”
The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy
However, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald took aim at Minister Murphy’s record in office.
“I heard Minister Murphy explaining away his deplorable record by saying that the numbers of people in homelessness are going up because – to quote him – people keep on presenting to emergency accommodation,” she said.
“I want to know is the minister now blaming the homeless for being homeless.”
“The buck stops with him.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald
She said the Taoiseach had backed the wrong minister.
“You are quite happy to hang the prospect of dismissal over Minister Catherine Byrne for refusing to state her confidence in Eoghan Murphy but would it not be more productive and more appropriate to sack your minister for not doing his job?”
Fianna Fáil has insisted that a change of minister will not build any houses – however the party is likely to face criticism from the opposition for its failure to hold the Government to account.
