Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Scenes in Leinster House on Wednesday.

'They thought they could make a mockery out of our parliament': Dáil speaking row rumbles on

There remains divisions between the Government and the Opposition over the Dáil speaking row on Wednesday.

THIS WEEK’S UNPRECEDENTED row over speaking time in the Dáil continues to rumble on, with a Government minister and Opposition TDs clashing over what happened earlier this week.

There were dramatic scenes in the Dáil Wednesday after a row erupted following a plan to allow Independent TDs, who participated in government formation negotiations, but who have not been given junior ministerial positions, to get speaking time that is allocated to the opposition.

Members of the opposition furiously rejected this proposal, resulting in the Dáil being suspended a number of times before being adjourned until the following day.

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, party leaders and the Dáil business committee agreed a temporary solution to break the deadlock and allow the vote for the next Taoiseach to take place and Martin was duly elected.

However, the issue is far from resolved, with deep divisions between the Government and the Opposition over how the matter was handled on Wednesday, and a final decision on the issue due by 5 February.

“The fact of the matter was, the government came in… to the house Wednesday morning, and they thought they could make a mockery and a sham out of our national parliament,” new Labour Party TD Conor Sheehan told RTÉ The Week in Politics

He said allowing regional independents who are not government ministers to “have a foot essentially on each side” was “farcical”.

“And we could not allow that to happen, and we would have set a very dangerous precedent in terms of undermining the Dáil,” he said.

Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane also spoke on the programme, criticising the Government parties and the regional Independents. Kerrane said the Opposition had been put in “an impossible situation”.

Kerrane also said a “dangerous precedent” would have been set if the Independents who supported the Government had been allowed to speak.

“And I think we would have set a very dangerous precedent last Wednesday, had it gone ahead, allowing the Regional Independents time from the Opposition benches while in government, you cannot have it both ways,” she said.

However, Social Protection and Rural Affairs Minister Dara Calleary said a process had been set up to deal with the issue, but that it should have been resolved after the election of the Taoiseach.

For Calleary, the “dangerous precedent” was the way in which the Opposition spoke over Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy during the outbursts, and how she was criticised in the chamber.

“You set a very dangerous precedent [with] the way the Ceann Comhairle was treated,” he said.

I’ve sat through very difficult days, I’ve never seen a Ceann Comhairle treated that way.

Matter resolved?

There was also some disagreement with how the matter had been resolved, with both the Labour and Sinn Féin TDs stating that it was their understanding that the Government had conceded a need to reform the Dáil Standing Orders (rules) to address the issue.

“My understanding is that at long last, the Government have acknowledged that there is, in fact, a government and an opposition,” Claire Kerrane said, stating that Government members of the Dáil Business Committee had “conceded that critical point”.

Conor Sheehan also said he believed the Government acknowledged the need for reform, but that the Regional Independents may be “digging in” on the issue.

Minister Calleary said, however, that it was “not that simple”

The Dáil Reform Committee has been established. It’s going to consider all of the angles,” he said, stating that the Regional Independents also “had mandates”.

“Claire [Kerrane] spoke about her mandate. They have mandates too,” he said.

They want to be able to use those mandates, and then I’ve absolutely no doubt that we can get there and use it without affecting Opposition time.

Speaking yesterday, Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe – who sits on the Dáil Reform Committee – said members met Friday and would do so again tomorrow and in the future in an attempt to resolve the issue.

“We’ve received advice from the Office of Parliamentary Legal Affairs,” he said in relation to the matter.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds