Dáil debates
Friday, 23 January 2015
An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhaltaí de Thithe an Oireachtais) 2014: An Dara Céim [Comhaltaí Príobháideacha] - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members]
11:45 am
Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
Deputy Wallace confirmed that between 1981 and 2010, a total of 54 Deputies have voted against their party. He failed to acknowledge that some of those Deputies went on to hold ministerial office. As we have seen from this morning's debate, any Deputy can vote against the Whip, and the speakers today have done so. The Whip system in the Dáil is a matter of choice. This country, unlike other countries, does not require Deputies who vote against their party to go back to the electorate and seek a renewal of their mandate.
I disagree strongly with Deputy Terence Flanagan's idea that any Deputy who votes with his or her party vote against his or her conscience is naive and disrespects the Deputies on all sides of this House.
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