*Independent Clare TD, Michael McNamara with Joe Saunders. Photograph: Natasha Barton
CLARE TD, Michael McNamara (IND) has confirmed he will be voting no confidence in the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee (FG).
Speaking on Virgin Media’s Tonight Show, Deputy McNamara outlined that he would be voting against the Government.
Scariff native McNamara referenced the decreasing number of Gardaí across Co Clare and the country. “I don’t have confidence in the Minister, the number of Gardaí has decreased during the lifetime of this Dáil, the number of Gardaí has decreased in Clare and of those who are still in force, obviously there’s huge problems on morale and retaining existing Gardaí but they are spending from what I’m hearing from ordinary Gardaí they are spending more and more time doing paperwork and behind computers and not on the beat.
“I’m afraid you can say that is a problem for Garda management rather than the Government but ultimately it is either Garda management can’t do their job properly or there is inadequate resources, either way that is a problem for Government and a problem they have ignored for too long in my view”.
On Tuesday afternoon, Minister McEntee will face a motion of confidence, a matter that has stemmed from the aftermath of the Dublin riots in the past fortnight.
Last week, Sinn Féin tabled a motion of no-confidence in the Justice Minister prompting the Government to respond with a confidence motion.
It is expected that the Government will win the confidence motion. It will be the third confidence motion the Government has faced since it came to power in 2020, with the last having taken place in March.
Cathal Crowe TD (FF) will vote with the Government, Joe Carey TD (FG) remains out of action while The Clare Echo has contacted Violet-Anne Wynne (IND) late on Monday night to determine what way she will vote.
