Michael Healy Rae shocked the Dáil chamber yesterday evening by resigning.
Ministers are denying the coalition has been weakened after Michael Healy Rae's resignation.
He shocked the Dáil chamber yesterday evening by standing down as Junior Forestry Minister.
He and his brother, Danny, also voted no confidence in the government over the handling of last week's fuel protests.
The government will today assess the impact of the Healy Rae brothers pulling their support for the coalition, which means its majority has dropped to five.
But Enterprise Minister and and Longford Westmeath TD Peter Burke says it's the opposition who are all over the place:
The government will today assess the impact of Michael Healy Rae's shock resignation.
The independent Kerry TD yesterday stood down as Junior Forestry Minister, and he and his brother, Danny, voted no confidence in the government over the handling of last week's fuel protests.
It means the coalition's majority has dropped to five.
Political Correspondent Seán Defoe says it also leaves Taoiseach Micheál Martin with a vacancy:
The Government is under pressure after two members of the coalition left over fuel protests.
The Healy Rae brothers dramatically pulled their support for the coalition yesterday.
Well the Government has been left to pick up the pieces after Michael Healy Rae dropped a bombshell in the Dáil chamber, saying he has serious reservations about Micheál Martin's leadership.
He denied being bounced into the decision to resign by his brother - after Danny Healy Rae signalled he wouldn't be voting confidence in the Government.
That said Michael Healy Rae was visibly emotional after leaving the Taoiseach's office - when he went to hand in his resignation Micheál Martin was on a call to the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
It's a bad look for Micheál Martin's Government but a number of Fianna Fáil Ministers said the Taoiseach isn't fatally wounded by the defection, saying they always felt the Healy Raes were flaky.
Micheál Martin now has a vacancy to fill as Junior Minister for Forestry - a portfolio suited to quite a limited number of TDs.
The opposition might not have succeeded in voting the Government out of office yesterday, but it chipped away at its majority which now stands at just five votes.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins addressed protestors outside Leinster House last night, saying he knew Michael Healy Rae would do what he believes is ‘the right thing’:
Aontu leader Peadar Tóibín is welcoming Michael Healy Rae’s decision.
Speaking outside Leinster House last night he said no independent TD should have supported the Government’s motion;
As the confidence motion was debated inside Leinster House, outside a couple of hundred people gathered to call for more action on fuel prices.
This was their reaction when Michael Healy Rae’s decision was announced:
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