Thread by @gavreilly

Surprise surprise: more disagreement at the Dáil’s business committee.

SF motion in Leo Varadkar was originally to be taken in the party’s own two-hour Dáil slot tomorrow, with the vote then deferred until the weekly voting time on Wednesday night. (1/6)

The Govt is keen to go back to old practice - which had been dispensed with in recent years - and table a motion of confidence in Varadkar in its own time tomorrow, instead of leaving it to SF’s old slot.

But doing this means the vote can’t be deferred; must be taken on the day

This means that the Dáil would have to meet in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) tomorrow instead.

But, because the Dáil has to pre-agree its venue for each sitting - and no mention of CCD last week - TDs *must* convene in Leinster House first. Out of order to do otherwise.

So the Govt’s plan is therefore that the Dáil would meet in Leinster House at 2pm - as agreed when Dáil adjourned last week - and *immediately* suspend for 90 minutes again, so that everyone can head down to the CCD for the day’s business

Although everyone accepts the Dáil *must* meet at LH first, many annoyed at the extra cost of forcing everyone to CCD for a day’s business when slot could have been left to SF time, or alternatively with Govt tabling its own motion on Wednesday when they were due at CCD anyway!

Suspicion among opposition TDs is that the Govt knows a motion of confidence - aside from being worded so as to keep Govt TDs onside - tends to act as a fire blanket and would ‘end’ the Varadkar story by asserting Dáil approval of his position, financial costs immaterial (6/6)