GREEN PARTY TD Neasa Hourigan has been hit with a 15 month suspension after voting against the government in today’s motion on the ending of the eviction ban. 

After Hourigan’s vote, the Green Party announced that its parliamentary party had agreed to remove the party whip and suspend Hourigan for over a year.

A motion seeking to extend the ban until January 2024 was tabled by Sinn Féin, with the government tabling a counter-motion which emphasised support measures put in place to assist those who may be facing eviction. 

In a vote this afternoon, the government won by a margin of 83 votes to 68.

Hourigan was among those who voted against the government and her party has acted swiftly in delivering a sanction. 

In a statement this evening the Green Party said:

“The Green Party parliamentary party has agreed to remove the party whip and suspend Deputy Neasa Hourigan from the parliamentary party for not less than 15 months after she voted against the Government earlier this evening.”

“It will be open to her to apply for readmission after this period. Deputy Hourigan will also lose her Oireachtas committee positions.”

“The parliamentary party regrets having to take these steps but believes that effectiveness in government relies on unity in every vote.”

Party leader Eamon Ryan had said earlier this week that members voting against the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Green Party coalition was “not insignificant”, suggesting that a sanction was likely. 

Speaking earlier today, Green Party minister Ossian Smyth said it is a “very serious matter” if a government TD votes against the government.

“It destabilises a government if a party member votes against government,” he said, adding:

Everybody knows what the sanction is.

Related Reads

Taoiseach says 'vast majority' of people given eviction notices will find somewhere to live when ban lifts

Ending eviction ban will see 'levels of homelessness nobody thought possible', Dáil told

Threshold anticipates March to be its busiest month since eviction ban came into place

Previous suspensions

Hourigan was suspended for six months last year alongside party colleague Patrick Costello TD when they voted against the government following a Sinn Féin motion on the National Maternity Hospital. 

In 2020, Hourigan was also sanctioned by the party after she voted against the Government’s Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill.

In advance of today’s vote, Hourigan had said that she planned to vote against the government and in favour of keeping the eviction ban in place, calling it a matter of “urgency”.

With reporting from Christina Finn