A Fine Gael motion calling for the Taoiseach to remove Mr Willie O'Dea from office is to be taken in the Dail next week. Mrs Nora Owen, the Fine Gael deputy leader, said Mr O'Dea, Minister of State at the Department of Education, had sought to undermine a judgment of the High Court concerning taxi deregulation and had actively undermined his ministerial colleague, Mr Robert Molloy, and a Government decision.
The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, criticised Mr O'Dea's attitude on the matter yesterday. Mr O'Dea had said he was opposed to deregulation but that as a Minister he shared collective responsibility for the policy.
Ms Harney said there would be no change in Government policy, and any member of the Government and any politician who advised taxi-drivers or others that there would be change was being very foolish and was misleading the public.
Asked if Mr O'Dea should be dismissed, Ms Harney said: "Normally if somebody has such a fundamental disagreement with Government policy, and this is an important area, then maybe they might consider their options themselves. Minister O'Dea doesn't intend to do that," she said on RTE radio.
Last night a spokesman for the PDs, when asked how the party would be voting in next week's motion, said the Tanaiste had made her comments yesterday and the onus was now on Mr O'Dea to "clarify his support for deregulation of the taxi industry".
In the Dail yesterday the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said he could not stop people having certain views, but if these were contrary to the collective responsibility of the Government he would not tolerate them.
The Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, has spoken to Mr O'Dea twice in recent days about his remarks. "After discussing the matter with the Taoiseach I formally drew his attention to the fact that this was not Government policy and asked him not to repeat it. He assured me that he was talking about Limerick."
Mrs Owen said Mr Ahern had refused to take any action against Mr O'Dea, and this was "further manifestation" of his chronic indecisiveness. "In tabling the private members' motion Fine Gael will give an opportunity to Mary Harney to indicate her loyalty and commitment to Government decisions," she said.
Last week Mr O'Dea caused controversy when he described the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Molloy, as impertinent and said his handling of the taxi issue was disastrous.
He told colleagues he did not know he was being taped when he told an angry gathering of taxi-drivers in Limerick that the decision to deregulate their industry was disastrous and would not work in practice. He urged them to "keep the pressure on".
On Limerick 95 FM on Tuesday he said he shared collective responsibility in Government, but "my view on deregulation has not changed".