Ryan to stay at Cop28 summit after vote pairing agreed for McEntee confidence motion

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will not return from Dubai to vote confidence in the Minister for Justice, after being offered a pairing agreement by the Social Democrats.

Mr Ryan, who is in the United Arab Emirates for the Cop28 climate conference, confirmed that he had been offered the pair by Social Democrats climate spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore.

Sinn Féin tabled a motion of no-confidence in Helen McEntee last week, with leader Mary Lou McDonald claiming there needed to be accountability for the “catastrophic failure” to keep people safe. The vote is due to take place in the Dáil on Tuesday.

It comes after tens of millions of euro worth of damage was caused to public infrastructure during disorder in Dublin last month that saw buses, trams and Garda cars on O’Connell Street set on fire and shops looted.

The rioting followed a knife attack near a school in which three children and a care assistant were injured.

A spokesperson for Mr Ryan said that he has been in contact with both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste on the matter, who are in support of the arrangement.

“They have agreed that this occasion could be seen as an exception to the normal pairing arrangements for such motions,” the spokesperson said.

Considering the importance of Ire being represented at #COP28UAE    I have offered a pair to Min Eamon Ryan for the no confidence motion. This won't change outcome of the motion as our votes will simply cancel each other out, but will allow for continuity at climate talks

— Jennifer Whitmore TD (@WhitmoreJen) December 4, 2023

Over the weekend, Mr Ryan said that he would have to return from the UN climate summit to vote confidence in Ms McEntee on Tuesday, losing two days of work at the conference.

Ms Whitmore said that she made the offer to Mr Ryan due to the importance of Ireland being represented at the climate talks.

“This won't change the outcome of the motion as our votes will simply cancel each other out, but will allow for continuity at climate talks,” Ms Whitmore said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.