Labour Party leader Alan Kelly has said that the vote of no-confidence in Simon Coveney is “not a priority” for Labour.
While Kelly said that Labour does not have confidence in the government, he told RTÉ that he believes healthcare and other issues to be more important.
“Ultimately we believe there are bigger issues for the people than this one,” he said.
“A question is being asked in Dáil Eireann and our 7 TDs have a decision to make. We don’t have confidence in the government. But if you ask me is this a bigger priority to be discussing as a first thing when the Dáil comes back, or the issues of healthcare that we just discussed, it’ll be the latter so far as I’m concerned.”
Labour leader @AlanKellyLabour has said he doesn't believe a motion of no-confidence in Minister Simon Coveney should be a priority on the resumption of the Dáil after the summer recess | Read more political coverage: https://t.co/m70FfUifNI pic.twitter.com/IWmNFTUwwa
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 14, 2021
Asked if his party was “uncomfortable” because of Ivana Bacik’s attendance at the Merrion Hotel, and if his party would rather stay out of the issue because of that, Kelly said: “Not at all.”
“Ivana has been very open with that. She apologised for her attendance. It’s nothing got to do with that. It’s ultimately because we believe there are bigger issues facing the people than this.”
Kelly added that one way Labour would provide public services is by raising taxes.
“It’s not just the super one line that you hear from some people saying we just have to tax the rich, and of course we have to do that,” he said.
“But we also have to look at other ways of bringing in taxation when it comes to different levies, stamp duties.”