THE CONTROVERSY AROUND government-supporting TDs joining the Opposition is set to continue today when the Dáil returns to elect a new Taoiseach.

It’s over what some Opposition TDs have described as moves to “split Regional Independents” between Govt and opposition benches for the new Dáil.

Some of the regional Independent TDs involved in negotiating and supporting the Programme for Government have sought to keep their Dáil speaking time in Opposition technical groups.

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, who previously sat as a regional Independent, has indicated that this will be allowed under parliamentary legal advice she has received from the Oireachtas.

Opposition parties have described the decision as “absurd”, objecting to the move on the basis that it would “eat into” their speaking time.

Government party leaders have deemed the criticism a “bubble issue” that few of the public care about, but the controversy has shown no sign of abating almost a week on from the deal first emerging.

It centres around the Ceann Comhairle’s decision to recognise a technical group which includes three members of the Regional Independents Group – TDs Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole – and Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae. The latter’s brother Michael Healy-Rae is set to be a junior minister in the new coalition.

The other five members of the Regional Independents will be part of the government in ministerial jobs.

It has also been confirmed that the technical group will now involve Aontú’s two TDs and Independents Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath.

Opposition parties oppose plan

In response to this, a number of Opposition parties issued statements yesterday evening opposing the Independent TDs who weren’t part of government formations joining the Regional Independents group for speaking rights.

Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit made a joint submission yesterday to the Ceann Comhairle in which they argue that it shows that the proposal is in direct contradiction to the Dáil’s standing orders.

Sinn Féin chief whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said the parties were part of a “genuine opposition” who will “fight all the way” the farcical proposal attempting to allow that government-supporting independents can sit in an opposition technical group.

It is absurd to allow Regional Independent TDs to form an opposition group when they have just agreed to support the government for the next five years.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said that the situation was “untenable” and could not be allowed to stand.

He added that Regional Independent TDs not only participated in Government formation talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, but “contributed to and endorsed” the Programme for Government.

“Regional Independent Group members are to become Junior Ministers and some will sit at Cabinet, and the lead negotiator and other members of the group have publicly stated that they are participating in and supporting the Government,” Boyd Barrett said.

“In these circumstances it is simply untenable for the Regional Independent Group TDs in question to be part of the Dáil opposition.”

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Appearing on RTÉ Radio One this morning, McGrath said he had received no other offers to join a technical group and said that the formation involving Regional Independents was the “best fit” for him given the rural focus of some of its members.

He added that he had been approached by Lowry last Thursday to join the technical group and decided to accept the offer, having found the backbenches a “lonely place” when the Dáil last sat and he had no speaking time.

McGrath said he had previously contacted Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris “to enter negotiations if they so wished” but had received no reply.

Asked if he had been denied “left adrift from government talks” by presenter Mary Wilson, McGrath said he was now using the technical group to represent his constituents in south Tipperary.

Social Democrats Gary Gannon told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme that it was a “farcical situation” given the key involvement of Lowry in government formation talks, only for the Tipperary North TD to now seek to join Opposition benches.

Gannon said Lowry “was in the room from day one to formulate this government”, but would now potentially be taking Opposition speaking time.

On the same radio programme, Dublin Fingal East Labour Party deputy Duncan Smith said all options “including the courts” would be considered to challenge the decision.

He criticised the government for its use of the Ceann Comhairle job as a bargaining tool and now its attempts to “split the regional group” of TDs between Government and Opposition benches in the Dáil.