Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae has said he will vote no confidence in the Government and will submit his resignation as Minister for State.

Protesters outside the Dáil cheered when they heard the news that Michael Healy-Rae had resigned as a minister of state

‘Government have left people of Ireland down’, says Michael Healy-Rae

He said he has seen grown men cry and he does not believe Government listened.

“Because of the fact that I believe this Government have left the people of Ireland down, I will be voting no confidence in the leader of the country and I will be tendering my resignation as minister for state from now,”

Government accused of ‘arrogance’ in motion of confidence debate

This comes as The Dáil is debating a motion of confidence in the coalition, tabled by Sinn Fein after the fuel protests across the country.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called the Government “brazen” and said it was “time for an election”.

The Government has been accused of “arrogance” over the way it handled fuel protests, as a motion of confidence in the coalition was debated.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was “manifestly untrue” to suggest the Government has done nothing to help people amid rising fuel prices, and said it was “dishonest” for the opposition to suggest “there are no hard choices”.