TIPPERARY TD MICHAEL Lowry has said he accepts the decision reached by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy yesterday on speaking rights in the Dáil, telling reporters in Leinster House today that he “wasn’t surprised” by the decision.
Lowry said he accepted the ruling, but indicated he wants the Standing Orders or rules of the Dáil to be changed, urgently, as a result of her ruling.
Murphy’s ruling highlights the “urgent necessity” to reform the Dáil’s procedures and practices “to give emphasis on how independents who are supportive of government can be accommodated”, Lowry said.
Michael Lowry: “We accept the decision the Ceann Comhairle made but ultimately that creates a situation where further reform is going to have to be carried out.”
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) February 4, 2025
@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/upaUPjp7hp
Lowry said this afternoon that the government Chief Whip Mary Butler told the Dáil Reform Committee on Friday that a body of work to change the rules “was already underway”.
He said Butler told him she “intended to make significant changes in the future”.
Lowry added that the government will now have to come forward with further proposals.
However, no timeline has been provided by government as to when that might happen.
“I think that work now has taken on a new urgency,” said Lowry .
The government are going to have to address how they’re going to accommodate the Independent members, particularly the four that the current Ceann Comhairle has specified in her ruling, said the Tipperary TD.
While Lowry states he has accepted Murphy’s decision, so too has the government with a spokesperson for the Taoiseach and Tánaiste stating:
“In line with our consistent position that speaking time is a matter for the Oireachtas, the two government parties accept the recommendation of the Ceann Comhairle.
“The Government Chief Whip will continue to engage with the Dáil reform committee to ensure speaking rights for all members are upheld.”
Lowry said the situation as it stands means there is the government, the opposition, and the Regional Independent TDs made up of himself, Danny Healy-Rae, Barry Heneghan, and Gillian Toole caught “somewhere in the middle”.
He said every Dáil is an “evolving situation”, but on this occasion, he and the other Independents “stepped up to the plate” and decided to support the government.
When asked if he would accept speaking time from the government time only, Lowry said he always said he didn’t mind where the time came from as long as they were afforded time to speak.
Lowry was also asked if Regional Independents will support the government on a case-by-case basis, something that was brought into question in the Ceann Comhairle’s ruling last night.
The Tipperary TD said the Regional Independents who are supporting the government are not subject to a party whip, but he added that those in the group will always “do our best to make sure the country has a stable government”.
While he acknowledged that some might choose to vote case-by-case, Lowry said it is the intention of Independent members “to remain steadfast in the support of the government”.
One of those members, TD Barry Heneghan said he is “not here for the political dance” and wants to get on with his work.
“They can do what they want and scream and tweet and all that…I don’t care.”
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) February 4, 2025
Regional Independent TD Barry Heneghan says he is glad the Ceann Comhairle has reached a ruling on the speaking rights row.
Asked if he accepts his role in it all he says he didn’t start the row. pic.twitter.com/r2VIzvYDJu
A late night email sent by the Ceann Comhairle last night took many by surprise.
She had ruled that the Regional Independent TDs, most of whom support the government, will not be given opposition speaking rights.
Opposition TDs and parties immediately reacted with glee.
In a statement, Social Democrats’ acting leader Cian O’Callaghan said the ruling “confirms what opposition parties have been saying from the outset.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald welcomed the Ceann Comhairle’s ruling, stating that the government has had to make a very significant climb down from its position.
“The government, as you have seen, have had to make a very significant climb down,” - Mary Lou McDonald.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) February 4, 2025
The SF leader is out introducing the party’s six senators.
She said she is looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow now that the speaking row has been resolved. pic.twitter.com/mygu3eGKHV
The controversy surrounded the Regional Independent Group, who were involved in the programme for government talks, seeking speaking time, and in particular, during Leaders’ Questions.
Opposition members argued strongly that access to these sections of the Dáil proceedings are reserved for opposition only, and not government-supporting TDs.
Asked about the need for those in the Regional Independent Group to have speaking time during Leaders’ Question, Lowry said today that he thinks there is a necessity for that to be accomodated.
He said Independent members all stood on the ballot paper as non-party members, adding that he hopes “in the not too distant future” they will be able to “participate fully in proceedings”.
Lowry said the most important lesson is that the Dáil needs to proceed and start addressing issues.
“I’m satisfied that the government is in place, that we have a strong government, that the government will be stable. And as I said, as part of that work, we need to reform the rules of the regulations here in the Dáil,” Lowry said today.
His comments come after the Dáil Reform Committee met today at midday, with the meeting lasting less than half an hour.
Lowry, who had previously participated in the reform committee meetings last week was not in attendance.
It is understood that during the meeting it was agreed that the Ceann Comhairle’s ruling would stand and that the committee would meet again in three weeks time to discuss possible amendments to the Dáil’s standing orders.
One opposition TD said after the meeting: “Peace has broken out in the land, but only for now”.
Today’s meeting was initially scheduled late on Friday last week after two days of talks to resolve the issue ended with no resolution.
While the opposition side are happy with Murphy’s ruling, they aren’t expecting this to be the end of the issue.
“I think it is very possible government will push ahead with the hybrid proposal,” one opposition TD who sits on the Dáil reform committee told The Journal this morning.
This fear was not realised and instead agreement was reached to meet again in three weeks.
The hybrid proposal was put on the table by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Regional Independents last week to create a grouping in the Dáil for TDs who are neither government or opposition.
“It’s like the closing episode of a TV series, how will the loose ends come together?”, another opposition source said.
Another said simply: “I think there could be more drama”.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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