Limerick born TD suspended from Green Party after voting against government
LIMERICK-BORN TD Neasa Hourigan has been suspended from the Green Party's parliamentary party after voting against the government on the end to the eviction ban.
Ms Hourigan, who hails from the city's northside and is a daughter of former mayor of Limerick Michael Hourigan, has had the party whip removed, which means she will sit in Dail Eireann as an Independent TD for Dublin Central.
In a statement, the Green Party confirmed its parliamentary group had agreed to remove the party whip.
"It will be open to her to apply for readmission after this period. Deputy Hourigan will also lose her Oireachtas committee positions. The parliamentary party regrets having to take these steps but believes that effectiveness in government relies on unity in every vote," they added.
Ms Hourigan, who is the sister of renowned psychologist Niamh Hourigan, will lose all her Oireachtas commitee positions, including her €10,082-a-year role as the houses' budgetary oversight committee chair.
It's not the first time the Dublin Central TD has defied the party whips - but it's by far the more severe punishment she has faced.
Ms Hourigan has been one of the leading critics of the government's move to allow the temporary ban on evictions to expire from the end of the month.
She has previously described it as "heartless", and added she regretted the Green's leader Eamon Ryan did not "speak up for Green Party values and Green Party policy”.
When the main opposition party, Sinn Fein brought in a motion calling for the eviction ban to be extended in 2024, Ms Hourigan abstained, before then voting against the government's counter motion.