The Fianna Fáil leader is calling on the Taoiseach to clearly state whether he wants the Fine Gael Oireachtas members to vote for John McNulty in the forthcoming Seanad bye-election.

Micheál Martin comments come after the Health Minister Leo Varadkar today announced that he will not be voting for John McNulty - adding that his election would "cause further embarrassment to our politics and parliament".

Mr McNulty, who has been at the centre of a cronyism row for the past week, is believed to be hovering up a large number of votes in the Seanad bye-election, despite having pulled out of the race - with Labour ministers Alan Kelly and Kathleen Lynch among his supporters.

Deputy Martin says this controversy isn't going away and it's time the Taoiseach nailed his colours to the mast.

“Last week in the Dáil the Taoiseach said that he was sickened by the whole thing. He apologised for dropping his own and his party’s standards he said,” Martin said.

“And then he said that he asked his members to adhere to the request of Mr. McNulty not to vote for him.

“Yet we learn yesterday the Taoiseach is saying that he hasn’t issued any direction to his members and that they’re going to vote for him in large numbers, and I believe that this is going to undermine the entire institutions of the state even further and it shows a contempt for the parliamentary process, for the Seanad itself and indeed for the Dáil,” Deputy Martin said.