| BishopAccountability.org | ||
| Government Coalition Collapses in Ireland By James F. Clarity New York Times November 17, 1994 http://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/17/world/government-coalition-collapses-in-ireland.html DUBLIN, Nov. 16— The two-year-old coalition Government of Prime Minister Albert Reynolds collapsed today, apparently forcing a general election before Christmas to select a new Parliament and Government. Mr. Reynolds had been striving to preserve his Government for five days, defending himself against charges of arrogance and deviousness made by his coalition partners in the Labor Party, which is led by Dick Spring. Mr. Reynolds had argued that a change of Government would impede efforts toward peace in Northern Ireland. But tonight, after a long day of angry speeches and parliamentary confusion, Mr. Spring said he and other Labor party ministers would not support a Parliamentary vote of confidence in Mr. Reynolds and would resign from the Government. "The peace process is not so fragile" that other parties could not advance it, he added. Mr. Reynolds could apply to President Mary Robinson for a dissolution of the Parliament. She could grant it, setting up national elections in December. Or she could refuse Mr. Reynolds, and allow Labor and opposition parties to try to form a new coalition Government. No President has ever refused a request for dissolution of the Parliament. There was also the possibility of reconciliation. Though virtually every politician was saying on Tuesday night that the coalition was dead, today reports swirled about in the Parliament that Mr. Spring and Mr. Reynolds were patching things up. But that was before Mr. Spring said tonight that he would not back a vote of confidence. The collapse of the Government came after Mr. Spring, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, accused Mr. Reynolds of suppressing facts in the dispute that detonated the political crisis. Last Friday, Labor ministers walked out of a Cabinet meeting to protest Mr. Reynolds's decision to name his Attorney General, Harry Whelehan, President of the High Court. Labor had argued against the appointment, insisting that Mr. Whelehan explain to Parliament his failure to act in a case involving extradition warrants from Northern Ireland for a Roman Catholic priest accused of child molestation. The promotion to the High Court put Mr. Whelehan beyond Parliament's power to question him. In Parliament on Tuesday, Mr. Reynolds exonerated Mr. Whelehan from any blame in the case. The priest eventually surrendered and was convicted, and he began a four-year prison sentence in June in Northern Ireland. Labor politicians expressed outrage that Mr. Whelehan had allowed someone accused of child molestation to remain at liberty in Ireland for seven months. | ||