Hourigan has broken rank before
THIS is not the first time that Neasa Hourigan has been willing to vote against the Government and lose the Green Party whip.
The ‘whip’ system used in Ireland ensures that politicians vote in line with their parties.
In July 2020, just a month after the Green Party entered Government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, Ms Hourigan was sanctioned by the party for voting against the Government’s Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill.
At the time, she was the Green Party’s chief whip. This role involves ensuring that TDs vote in line with the party.
She resigned this role and her speaking rights were removed for two months. Minister of State Joe O’Brien was also sanctioned at the time for abstaining on the vote.
Speaking afterwards, Ms Hourigan stated that she had ‘no intention of making a habit’ of voting against the Government.
‘I was well aware that I would be subject to sanction,’ she told RTÉ.
‘I do think that we need to start a conversation about how we use the whip system now that we’re dealing with smaller parties coming together in a multi-party system.
‘The version of the whip that we have in Ireland is quite archaic and onerous.’