A Fianna Fáil TD has said he will vote no confidence in the Government if given a chance.

John McGuinness has called the confidence and supply arrangement with Fine Gael "a farce."

He has accused his own party of sitting on its hands during the motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy this week.

Mr McGuinness himself was not in the Dáil chamber for the vote on Tuesday night.

The motion by the Social Democrats was ultimately defeated by 56 votes to 53 - a three vote margin.

Fianna Fáil abstained from the vote.

But Mr McGuinness said if a no confidence motion goes down in the Government he will back it.

This scenario would give the opposition the numbers to force an election.

Mr McGuinness said: "If someone puts down a vote no confidence in the Government, I'll vote for it - because that's the way it should be.

"And I honestly hope that this supply and confidence arrangement, which is a farce at accommodating all this stuff, comes to the end quickly in the new year - so that at least the electorate can have their say".

Reporting by Sean Defoe