Jim McDaid Resigns From Dáil

It has emerged that Donegal North East TD, Jim McDaid, is to resign from his Dáil seat.

It is understood that Dr McDaid will be submitted to the Ceann Comhairle this morning, and then laid in the Oireachtas library.

Dr McDaid was removed from the Fianna Fáil party earlier this year over his dissent against the Government's policy on free cervical cancer jabs.

The resignation will leave four empty seats in the Dail and will cut further the Government's slim majority.

Today, Labour's Chief Whip Emmet Stagg has described Mr McDaid's exit form politics as "another nail in the coffin of this discredited and inept government".

"The sudden nature of Dr. McDaid’s decision to abandon the sinking Fianna Fáil ship will further demoralise Fianna Fáil TDs who are already dreading the prospect of having to face the electorate," Mr Stagg said.

He added: "This now means that there are four vacancies in the Dáil, three of them having occurred on the government side. The government have refused to hold the outstanding by-elections from the other constituencies and in recent days the Taoiseach appears to have been attempting to renege on the commitment given in the Dáil earlier in this session that the writs would be moved in the first quarter of next year. It is unprecedented in peacetime to have four vacancies in the Dáil and it would be totally unacceptable for the government to refuse to allow them to be filled."

Fianna Fail are awaiting tomorrow's High Court ruling on whether it should be forced to hold by-elections within a specific period of time. A ruling against the Government could see the election of more opposition Ministers, an expected result considering the Government's poor performance on recent polls.

(DW)