Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has survived a Dáil vote of no confidence.
TDs this evening debated and voted on the motion, which was brought forward by Sinn Féin over the Fine Gael leader's sharing of a confidential GP contract with a rival doctors' group while he was Taoiseach.
In the vote, the Dáil expressed confidence in the Tánaiste and the Government by 92 votes to 65, with nine independents voting with the three Government parties.
Mr Varadkar this evening said he wanted to apologise again to the House over the issue.
He noted it was the first time he had faced a motion of confidence, and it has caused him to reflect on his actions.
However, he also criticised Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion - claiming they did so to keep the story in the headlines for another week.
He also argued that many of the allegations made about him in recent days have been "trumped up or simply made up".
Debate
There were lively statements in the Dáil as Government and opposition parties debated the motion.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said: "What angers ordinary people is the Fine Gael leader's actions are par for the course.
"[It's] part of the insider cosy club politics that has done so much damage to our country."
Eoin O'Broin now speaking. Says the motion is about standards. Says Leo Varadkar shared the document with the NAGP while his colleague Simon Harris refused to do so when asked
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) November 10, 2020
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín asked how Fine Gael ministers can back Leo Varadkar knowing if they did the same thing "they'd be out the door without their feet hitting the ground".
Meanwhile, several of Mr Varadkar's Cabinet colleagues defended the Tánaiste.
Simon Harris: "In the week the people of the United States THANK GOD rejected the politics Trumpism don't you dare trying to introduce it into this country"
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) November 10, 2020
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney argued: "Are [Sinn Féin] using this issue to try to sow division in a coalition during a global pandemic, and as Brexit negotiations reach end game?
"Or is Sinn Féin's strategy simply to harvest and nurture online hate and bile, regardless of the truth and cost."
Taoiseach Micheál Martin also defended his coalition colleague, describing the no confidence motion as a "100% cynical move".
He argued that "nothing significant" about the story had changed since Mr Varadkar took questions in the Dáil last week.
