Dublin Central TD Neasa Hourigan has resigned as the Green Party whip as she’s voted against the government four times this evening on a bill about renters.
Deputy Hourigan quit her role as party whip this afternoon before voting against the government on four seperate occasions over her concerns over a housing bill.
The bill will extend the rent freeze and ban on evictions until January – but only for some people.
Hourigan has said she has serious concerns about this legislation and has previously said she believes the government’s housing policy will make homelessness worse.
The Dáil was voting on a Labour amendment to the new tenancy Bill, which renews the rent freeze/evictions moratorium – but only for those who self-certify as having financial distress.
Labour wanted to extend it on a blanket basis. In response the government said that was unconstitutional, but deputy Hourigan supported the Labour move anyway, heaping more pressure on the Greens who look to be finding being the junior coalition party a struggle so far.
She says she would like to stay on as a Green Party TD but that the decision will be with the parliamentary party, who will need to decide if she should face sanction for voting against the government.
