Minister of State Catherine Byrne is refusing to clarify if she will support Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy in a Dáil confidence vote tomorrow night.
In a statement on Twitter, she said that she wants what is best for her community in Inchicore in Dublin city.
Minister Byrne said the city needs more housing but is opposed to a proposal to build a large-scale apartment development, which would be the first cost-rental project in the country.
She said such a development would put pressure on what is an already fractured community.
The junior minister said that more services and amenities are needed before any development can begin.
— Catherine Byrne TD (@CByrneTD) September 24, 2018
Earlier, a spokesperson for Mr Murphy said Ms Byrne had not indicated to Mr Murphy that she may support the no confidence motion in him.
Minister Byrne has not responded to questions amid speculation that she might abstain or support the motion that has been tabled by Sinn Féin.
A spokesperson for Mr Murphy said the minister still believes he can convince Ms Byrne about the merits of the rental project.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that if any minister votes against a Cabinet colleague in a confidence vote, that minister could not continue in their post.
"We're a Government, you know, we're collective. We make decisions together and if a minister doesn't have confidence in another minister and votes that way, then obviously they couldn't continue - but like I say she hasn't had this conversation with me yet," Mr Varadkar said.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said he was not aware of any indication that Ms Byrne might vote against Mr Murphy.
Mr Donohoe has expressed confidence in Mr Murphy, saying he had his absolute support.
That view was echoed by Minister for Education Richard Bruton, who noted that it was a dysfunctional housing model that had destroyed the country, and Mr Murphy was trying to rebuild the system of social housing from scratch.
Minister of State Finian McGrath said Mr Murphy had the total support of the Independent Alliance.
He said he strongly objected to personalised attacks on individual ministers.
