Pádraig Flynn, Opposition parties to vote for statement
The Fianna Fáil TD, Beverly Cooper-Flynn, has said she intends to oppose the Fine Gael motion calling for a statement from her father, Pádraig Flynn. The European Commissioner is being called upon to respond to claims that he was paid £50,000 by developer, Tom Gilmartin.
Speaking in the Dáil in the last half-hour, she strongly criticised Fine Gael for, as she put it, its shoddy opportunism. She said Fine Gael knew that her father would not affected by the outcome of the motion, she said that she did not believe Fianna Fáil would collaborate with the opposition.
The position of Ms Cooper-Flynn is important because if the Government accepts a Fine Gael amendment allowing the issue to be considered in three weeks time, a vote on the motion would be unlikely. Her opposition means she would be automatically expelled from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
For Fine Gael, Ivan Yates asked how the work of the Flood tribunal would be inhibited if Mr Flynn gave his version of events. Meanwhile, the Labour Party has decided that regardless of what decision the Government may take on the Fine Gael motion, it will press for a vote in half an hour's time.
The Government earlier emphatically denied that it has accepted the Fine Gael amendment. Earlier, Fine Gael had said that the Government had accepted the amendment, which would have allowed the Dáil to again consider the position of Commissioner Flynn, in three weeks time.
