The Fianna Fáil leader has asked Clare TD Timmy Dooley to step down from the party’s front bench over the Dáil voting controversy.
Mícheál Martin has asked Deputy Dooley and his Limerick colleague Niall Collins to step down with immediate effect, pending an investigation.
It emerged over the weekend that six votes had been cast in Deputy Dooley’s name in the Dáil chambers, despite him being absent while the vote was being taken.
Speaking to Clare FM, Deputy Dooley said Deputy Collins cast the votes on the assumption that he was in the chamber at the time; however, he was outside taking a phone call.
The Ceann Comhairle is to carry out an investigation into the matter and both TDs have been asked to step down from the front bench pending the outcome of the investigation.
