No- confidence motion against Irish govt moved

■ Move can prompt election

Deputy Prime Minister Frances Fitzgerald should step aside. That would avoid a general election. — Michael Martin Fianna Fail leader

Dublin, Nov. 24: Ireland’s main Opposition party on Friday submitted a motion of no- confidence in the country’s deputy Prime Minister over her handling of a police whistleblower controversy, warning that elections loomed if she did not step down.

Deputy Prime Minister Frances Fitzgerald “should step aside... That would avoid a general election,” Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said on RTE radio.

The deal propping up the Irish government will be dead if opposition party Fianna Fail submitsa motion of no confidence in the deputy Prime Minister, employment minister Regina Doherty said earlier on Friday.

It had been unclear whether the ruling party considered submitting the motion sufficient to violate the terms of thethree- year deal, which Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s minoritygovernment depends on to rule, or whether it would consider thedeal broken only when a vote on the motion was taken.

The motion will be voted on next Tuesday, pushing Varadkar's minority government to the brink of collapse ahead of a key summit next month with EU leaders where the issue of Ireland's post- Brexit border with Britain will be on the agenda.

Ireland is pushing EU leaders to ensure its concerns about the border with British- ruled Northern Ireland are taken into account before Brexit talks can continue, adding an unexpected hurdle to Britain’s plans.

— Agencies