Many may feel that the Tánaiste Joan Burton is a lucky woman this morning after the Dáil passed a motion of confidence in the Labour leader late last night.
Ms Burton was given the benefit of the doubt when her fellow TD’s passed the motion in favour of her leadership by 81 votes to 32. The Tánaiste’s creditability came under major scrutiny over the past week after she appointed David Begg to the position of Chair of the Pensions Authority without going through proper channels. Ms Burton’s reprieve comes after a motion of no confidence was put forward by the Independent Alliance.
That motion came after a number of opposition complained about Ms Burton’s appointment of Begg – with a salary of €20,000 per year, which many have labelled as “blatant cronyism”. However the Tánaiste has continuously stated that existing rules are “flexible” enough to allow her to make the appointment.