With their abstention in the Dáil Soc Dems and Independents are running away from responsibility – O’Donovan

With their abstention on the crucial votes for Taoiseach in the Dáil this week, the Social Democrats and certain Independent TDs are running away from responsibility, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Limerick Fine Gael TD Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, says that the electorate deserve to know where their TDs stand on the crucial task of Government formation. His comments come after the Social Democrats and Independent TDs such as Matt Shanahan, Peter Fitzpatrick, Marian Harkin, Verona Murphy and Denis Naughten abstained on all four of the votes for Taoiseach in the Dáil on Wednesday.

Deputy O’Donovan said: “Too many TDs have been sitting on the side-lines and refusing to say where they stand on Government formation. The voters need to know why their newly elected TDs have abstained on all four votes for Taoiseach in the Dáil this week.

“Did the people who elected these TDs know when they were voting for them that their first act in the Dáil would be to run away from responsibility?

“These TDs did not get a mandate to sit on the fence yet they abstained on all four votes for Taoiseach. It’s time they were straight with their electorate on their stance on Government formation and tell the voters who they are going to back.”