Ministers Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar called for the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party to begin preparations as early as next week for a general election in the wake of the Garda whistleblower scandal.
Hours later the Government won a motion of confidence in itself by 57 to 52 with Fianna Fáil abstaining.
Government Ministers attacked Sinn Féin for the motion of no confidence – Simon Coveney says they are getting on with the job of government.
