FINE GAEL has withdrawn pairing arrangements for the debate on a motion of confidence in the Taoiseach next Tuesday in the Dáil.
The party is also tabling a private members’ motion the next day which is severely critical of the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation into the banking crisis.
However, it is understood that Green Party Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan will still be going ahead with a seven-day official visit to Japan and China, starting tomorrow.
Government sources said his absence would be “absorbed” and they were “still confident” of a majority in the confidence debate.
The original Fine Gael motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach has been superseded, in line with standard practice, by a Government motion of confidence in Mr Cowen.
This allows the Government to make the introductory speech as well as the final summing-up remarks.
Labour and Sinn Féin are to join Fine Gael in opposing the Government motion. However, there were no indications that Fianna Fáil backbenchers would be voting against their leader.
Independent TD Finian McGrath said he “fully endorsed” the contents of the Honohan and Regling-Watson banking reports but was waiting to see the wording of the Government confidence motion before deciding which way to vote.
However, a senior government source said that the motion, which is to be submitted to Dáil officials on Monday night, “won’t be elaborate” and would not require approval of past financial policies.
The Government’s working majority is six votes and Mr Ryan’s absence will bring it down to five.
All other business has been removed from the order paper on Tuesday to facilitate the six-hour debate which begins at 2.30pm, with Mr Cowen expected to deliver the opening speech.
Donegal North East TD Jim McDaid confirmed he would support the motion of confidence in Mr Cowen.
“I have no problem whatsoever in backing the Taoiseach on this motion.,” he said.
Green Party Minister of State for Equality Mary White said: “The Government has a majority and I expect the Government to win it. I think there’s a lot of playing games going on here. It’s par for the course from the Opposition.”
The main item of business was to have been the Civil Partnership Bill and this is likely to be taken the following week.
The Fine Gael private members’ motion for the following day criticises the refusal of the Fianna Fáil-Green Party coalition to include government financial policy among the items for inquiry by the Commission of Investigation.
In an article for today’s Irish Times, Mr Bruton writes that excluding the political dimension from the terms of reference was “like having a criminal trial without the number one suspect in attendance”.
This motion is to be debated over three hours on Wednesday evening.