The Ceann Comhairle had to save the blushes of Clare Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley along with his Dáil colleague Frank Fahy after they mistakenly voted with the opposition in the Dáil.
Séamus Kirk was forced to exercise his casting vote to prevent an embarrassing government defeat in a debate to move the writ for the Donegal South West by-election.
Deputies Dooley and Fahy who were chatting about a Oireachtas Committee inadvertently hit the wrong button with just seven seconds to the end of voting time.
Speaking after the vote Senior Government Minister Mary Hanafin acceded that it was a genuine mistake but stated that it was unacceptable.
