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Anne Ferris Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Labour will allow this TD back on one condition...

* As long as Anne Ferris votes with the government she will return to the parliamentary party in the autumn.

ANNE FERRIS WILL return to the Labour parliamentary party in the autumn provided she continues to support the government in Dáil votes.

The Wicklow TD lost the Labour whip last month after she voted against the party on Clare Daly’s bill to legislate for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

Labour voted against the legislation on the advice of the Attorney General that it was unconstitutional despite widespread support within the party for supporting the measure.

The party passed a motion at its conference this weekend committing it to campaign for the repeal of the 8th Amendment at the next general election.

A party source said that Ferris can apply to be readmitted to the parliamentary party whenever she likes. If she does so Ferris would likely be readmitted in September or October when the Dáil resumes after the summer recess.

In the interim Ferris has been told she can remain on the Oireachtas Justice Committee, where she is vice chair, and can retain her office on the Labour floor in Leinster House.

However this is on the condition that she continues to support the government in forthcoming Dáil votes. Failure to do so could see Ferris taken off the committees and face an uphill battle to be readmitted to the Labour parliamentary party.

The source added that they were “fairly confident” Ferris would be Labour’s candidate for the general election in Wicklow. The party currently has no elected representatives in the constituency after the local elections, aside from Ferris who remains an ordinary member of Labour.

She did not attend this weekend’s party conference in Killarney. The party’s deputy leader Alan Kelly paid tribute to her on Friday night, describing her as “a great lady” who would have been welcome to the conference.

“I spoke to Anne on a couple of occasions and I spoke to her straight after she made her decision in the parliamentary party meeting. I was the first person to speak to her actually. We will speak to Anne again. It was a very difficult situation for Anne and I appreciate that,” he said.

‘A shameful abandonment’: Just one Labour TD defies party as Clare Daly’s abortion bill voted down

Read: Some Labour TDs could miss abortion vote, no whip on Fianna Fáil deputies

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29 Comments
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    Mute Were Jammin
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:26 AM

    Tough call. Labour would be nuts not to bring her back into the fold as she’s one of the few TDs they have who has a snowballs chance in hell of being re-elected, but on the other hand her best re-election chances are to stay away from the toxic and treacherous brand known as Labour.

    The next GE will be FUN.

    265
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    Mute Hermes
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:55 AM

    She may allow her own conscience to stay without a Party that may or may not have links to the decision not to sue H.S.B.C. in spite of best International Practice – a guiding principle in law – Perhaps some opposition T.D.s may hold the government to account by starting a case against this organisation in a European Court .
    Perhaps FG and FF and Lab have built the rod to beat themselves with by allowing Europe a legal say in Ireland and its finances . And they think Paddy is stupid !
    The fun is only beginning – if I was Enda I’d be running to the Country to loose my seat to get a getaway with face as it were ……

    75
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    Mute Hermes
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 12:25 PM

    Political Parties are like the Borg .
    We will allow you to think like us – all outsiders must be assimilated !

    42
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    Mute John Quinn
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 12:52 PM

    Read in The Sunday Times how this creature changed her route from Bray to Leinster House so she could claim an extra €16,295 from the citizens.

    72
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    Mute Hermes
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 2:53 PM

    Lannigan’s Balll – you step in and I’ll step out again..
    Labour are part of a government that negotiated poorly on behalf of the Irish people according to the I.M.F., what makes them think they deserve a second chance.
    Maggie was right about one thing – “That is OUT !, “

    18
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    Mute Mrs Shalakalananaka
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:04 AM

    If she has half a brain, she’ll stay well away from the Labour Party.

    249
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    Mute Liam Ó Séicspéir
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 12:05 PM

    Why do people get expelled every single time they vote against the party whip? It seems to happen any time anyone ever does it. As far as I know this doesn’t happen anywhere else.

    65
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    Mute Stuart Keogh
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 12:26 PM

    Yeah Anne!!! How dare you vote your consciounce. That’s democracy, and you should know by now that’s not allowed

    51
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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:04 AM

    What is the point in electing someone to represent us then

    144
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    Mute Denis O Brien
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:12 AM

    things like that only work in a democracy.

    117
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:27 AM

    Sad to see labour are entering the desperation stages of their period in government by trying to undo most of what they set out to do in the beginning including the abolition of town councils. What is the point of voting for a party that doesn’t stick to it’s core principles of ‘putting people first’.

    130
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    Mute Spiderman_Irish
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:31 AM

    The same could be said about Fine Gael.

    116
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 2:19 PM

    It could certainly be said of any party which changes it’s agenda to keep up with the times. However in the case of Labour which relies more than any other party on trade union support, I rather think that they have made fools of themselves by turning their back on the ordinary people who voted for them in the honest belief that they could somehow make a difference. It becomes clear now that the labour leadership have betrayed the people for the sake of their own narrow minded political survival.

    17
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    Mute Very fond of
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:47 AM

    I think it was a genuine issue of conscience that she voted against Labour recently. Now that she is out she should stay out. Labour are toxic (like FF in 2011) and could be extinct 14 months from now.

    118
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    Mute Michael Reilly
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 11:03 AM

    Conscience – did she not leave it to one side when she was totting up the expenses.

    76
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    Mute Hermes
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 10:20 AM

    What Labour politicians and their families , if any, have H.S.B.C. bank accounts – sure who else could afford them says ye !

    102
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    Mute potty o shea
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 11:10 AM

    Of course they want her back. An articulate brave woman who can think for herself!

    50
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    Mute Hermes
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 2:59 PM

    Mary Robinson is long gone Potty ….

    6
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    Mute Martin Hayes
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 11:15 AM

    What Labour are saying is what we’ve all known for a long time, TDs are accountable to the party, not the electorate.

    78
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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 11:22 AM

    Labour will not exist after election as they abandoned what the party stands for.a vote of no confidence in upcoming referendums will force an election ,and they can be held again under a new government. It looks like they cannot hear the people, so let them hear us in the ballot box.its the only weapon the people have to remove them.

    68
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    Mute Shayno O'Donnchadha
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 11:01 AM

    Was Alan Kelly firing the first shot at Joan. Making the point he was the first to contact her, more importantly Joan did not. Alan realising they need her in Wicklow. .

    54
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    Mute #Wynner
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 11:52 AM

    She would be foolish to run as a labour candidate, better off as independent, labour are toxic.

    61
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    Mute Hermes
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 12:28 PM

    Alan Kelly is the Minister with responsibility for Irish Water , He wants deflection onto rents make people worry about what they are spending every week not any bills he has responsibility for …poor attempt !

    44
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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 1:43 PM

    What a bunch of charlatans our country’s politicians are particularly where it concerns women and the vulnerable

    16
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    Mute Maurice Dodd
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 4:54 PM

    Does she get to keep her 25 thousand euro travel allowance.from bray to the Dail?

    13
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 4:54 PM

    Hmmmm,
    She’s pretty exposed and looks disposable. Who from crowded South Dublin wants to campaign in her constituency?

    6
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    Mute Martin Smith
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 7:39 PM

    So Shorthall resigns after Gilmore refuses to back her stance on Reilly’s location of urgent care centre in his constituency and no attempt to admit her back and Ferris votes against govt and its oh come back all is forgiven. Hypocritical party. At least Shorthall will win her seat back

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    Mute Kevin Mullen
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 5:33 PM

    Why would she want to get into bed with a load of liars who clearly shafted her just because she supported Clare Dalys bill

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 2nd 2015, 8:46 PM

    By autumn there might be a different government?

    1
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