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Verona Murphy RollingNews.ie

Fianna Fáil TD questions Verona Murphy's impartiality ahead of Ceann Comhairle election

Byrne’s comments come after his party, Fianna Fáil, and Fine Gael both asked their TDs to vote for Murphy, as part of a deal with the Regional Independents.

FIANNA FÁIL TD Malcolm Byrne has questioned his party’s decision to back Verona Murphy ahead of a vote to elect the next Ceann Comhairle. 

Byrne took issue with past remarks made by Murphy – under Dáil privilege – which criticised named councillors, and called on the Independent Wexford TD to apologise to the individuals.

His comments come after his party, Fianna Fáil, and Fine Gael both asked their TDs to vote for Murphy, as part of a government formation deal with the Regional Independents.

“I’ve been firmly of the view that the role of Ceann Comhairle is there to represent members,” he said, speaking to reporters outside Leinster House today.

“They must be fair and impartial and balanced, and I have raised the concern, not just of councillors from County Wexford in Fianna Fáil and other parties, but indeed members more generally, around previous remarks.

“It has to be remembered, Verona Murphy on the floor of the Dáil named a number of councillors in various parties and criticised them. It didn’t allow them the right to respond.”

He said it is the job of the Ceann Comhairle to uphold rules around privilege. 

Byrne said that if Murphy wants to demonstrate her impartiality, she should apologise for the remarks.

Today is the first sitting of the 34th Dáil, and electing a Ceann Comhairle is one of the first orders of business.

Murphy is up against outgoing Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, fellow Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness, and Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh. 

The position is filled by a secret ballot of TDs, meaning that the winner is no sure thing.

However, Micheál Martin and Simon Harris’s support for Murphy mean she is well-placed to secure the votes.

They’re looking to go into government together, along with a small group of Independents.

The Regional Independent Group is made up of Sean Canney, Marian Harkin, Barry Heneghan, Noel Grealish, Michael Lowry, Kevin (‘Boxer’) Moran, Verona Murphy and Gillian Toole. 

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37 Comments
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    Mute Garry Coll
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:48 PM

    Having driven through the snow in South Tipperary, and up through Limerick and Clare on the new Limerick-Galway motorway last Sunday, I can say that a red warning was absolutely required for the conditions that the region was inflicted with.

    105
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    Mute Colonel Gaddafi
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    Jan 13th 2025, 5:09 AM

    @Garry Coll: yes red should have been given very dangerous condition and met eire failed many many people dangerous lives

    19
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    Mute Laois Weather
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:03 PM

    Warnings should only come from Met Eireann

    88
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    Mute Ronan Fahy
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    Jan 13th 2025, 7:41 AM

    @I’m a robot Robot: why would you even have to ask. It’s like saying amateur traffic channels should be able to set speed limits

    25
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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 13th 2025, 7:58 AM

    @Laois Weather: One model for all, the weather says no

    1
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    Mute John Doe
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    Jan 12th 2025, 9:40 PM

    Amateur forecasters have no precedent to issue weather warnings. They should be ignored.

    79
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    Mute Pat Cooney
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    Jan 12th 2025, 9:50 PM

    @John Doe: precedent? What’s dat mean,

    27
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    Mute Minnie Mouse
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:01 PM

    @John Doe: Methinks you do not understand the words you use! Check out the meaning of “precedent”.

    43
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    Mute Caoimhin O'Connor
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:39 PM

    Peadar Tóibín being populist again. Imagine giving out about a weather warning!!! What a joke of a TD

    51
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    Mute Longlin
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    Jan 12th 2025, 11:23 PM

    @Caoimhin O’Connor: He’s not wrong though. We had no snow but most schools closed around us last week on account of this low temperature warning and it was simply a case of icy by roads, which are generally fine if you take it easy on them. Issuing warnings for what should be standard winter weather is excessive.

    52
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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 13th 2025, 8:01 AM

    @Caoimhin O’Connor: Yup. Absolutely they should give a warning, granted most don’t need them, and may (myself included) will ignore them in favour of whatever they choose to do… but for that one octogenarian who had the first appointment in a clinic 50 miles away maybe it helps. People no offended by information thats not even FOR them!! Tobin is harming his core voter here.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Jan 13th 2025, 5:04 PM

    @Longlin: How many people would have gotten hurt with the school open?
    they took the safety first approach!

    1
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 12th 2025, 9:13 PM

    Wow riveting journalism lads

    28
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    Mute Brian D'Arcy
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    Jan 12th 2025, 9:15 PM

    @Trump24: You probably don’t live here if this doesn’t interest you, having a disability it is essential to know the weather, especially this week.

    72
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 12th 2025, 9:56 PM

    @Brian D’Arcy: Well incorrect I do live here for a portion of the year but for tax purposes I can only be here a certain amount of days.

    14
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    Mute Robert
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    Jan 12th 2025, 9:57 PM

    @Brian D’Arcy: look at the username, all you need to know about the caliber of person you’re dealing with

    37
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    Mute Minnie Mouse
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:00 PM

    @Trump24: No. you can be here for as long as you choose to be. You choose to avoid paying tax here.

    33
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:02 PM

    @Trump24: Hahaha nice bit of fantasy there, as if you reside anywhere apart from your mammys box room. You’ll need a PPS number and wash before you start paying any tax

    53
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:05 PM

    @Minnie Mouse: Absolutely I do and it’s all above board it’s called financially smart.

    6
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:06 PM

    @Freda Peeple: Do I care if you believe me absolutely not. Enjoy being poor.

    7
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:11 PM

    @Trump24: it’s called talking out your hoop you big spoof. I have my own building company I’m doing ok. I can afford to pay tax here.

    34
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:17 PM

    @Freda Peeple: Well clearly nothing worth becoming non dom for.

    8
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:22 PM

    @Trump24: Ken/buster/chutes is another who made his fortune in America but chose to spend his life taking rot on all day on a poxy news app, what are the chances?

    37
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:24 PM

    @Tired Jim: My jacks smells funky, I’m ok with that

    9
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:27 PM

    @Freda Peeple: Never made my money in America

    3
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:30 PM

    @Trump24: You don’t have a bean, be honest. if your mammy didn’t put credit on your phone we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

    37
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:37 PM

    @Freda Peeple: You believe what you wish enjoy getting up for work tomorrow.

    5
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:45 PM

    @Trump24: Yes I will, like I do everyday! I’m sure you won’t be thinking of me on your hammock making big business decisions.. on your bike Rodney haha

    27
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    Mute Peter Finnigan
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    Jan 12th 2025, 11:38 PM

    @Robert: ah hear, maybe his parents could see the future and at the same time didn’t particularly like him so gave him that name so that he would be laughed at and made fun of for his whole like till 24 when like a dream it all snapped into place and made sense well, at least till the clock struck midnight on new years and the carriage turned into a fat pumpkin with a dodgy wig.

    7
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 13th 2025, 8:26 AM

    @I’m a robot Robot: Silence troll

    1
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 13th 2025, 8:28 AM

    @Freda Peeple: Nice round of golf this morning for me hopefully the rain stays away then a light lunch in the club. Enjoy your sambos and tea.

    2
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 13th 2025, 9:03 AM

    @Trump24: Pitch and putt followed by home packed corned beef sandwiched from your mammy, enjoy! Hopefully you don’t get roasted on the course like you did on the Journal

    9
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    Mute Tezmond McVicar
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    Jan 13th 2025, 9:40 AM

    @Trump24: Just mute these bottom feeders folks, it makes them go away.

    3
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 13th 2025, 2:23 PM

    @Tezmond McVicar: Indeed Freda is definitely a bottom feeder 100%.

    1
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    Mute Trump24
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    Jan 13th 2025, 2:24 PM

    @Freda Peeple: Unfortunately did rain a slight bit today but lunch was delicious in the club. Lovely crab claws today.

    1
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    Mute Patrick Newell
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:19 PM

    In fairness met eireann and experts kept telling us complete with blood red heat maps that Ireland was gonna cook during last summer from May till the end of August….there wasnt a week with the tabloid trash MSM who are more responsible than anyone for people getting angry with weather predictions when they post clickbait headlines and then the actual article is completely different. No wonder so many go elsewhere for information. Covid was a winner for the media between all the free advertising money they got and realising fear mongering headlines are actually a better thing to survive than acfual balanced reporting

    32
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    Mute donal O'brien
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    Jan 12th 2025, 11:01 PM

    @Patrick Newell: I don’t remember any expert or Met Eireann employees giving any such warning last summer.
    Perhaps you imagined this due to consumption of vast quanties of illegal hallucinogenic narcotics?

    51
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    Mute Michael McGrath
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    Jan 13th 2025, 8:44 AM

    @donal O’brien: Correct me if I’m wrong but every month last year was trumpeted as the hottest month on record ever on RTE on every single news cast every day. It was absolute and utter codswallop. The summer was the coldest wettest summer i have ever witnessed in Ireland in my 50 years on this earth. When people rightly questioned the validity of these claims they were told it was roasting at night when you were asleep, you couldn’t make this c r a p up.

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    Mute donal O'brien
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    Jan 13th 2025, 9:07 AM

    @Michael McGrath:
    On a world wide basis some group of international experts said 2024 was the hotest year on record for the world.
    Met eireann said last May was the honest May on record in Ireland
    They then said June was the coldest June in Ireland for the last 10 years.
    March was the second wettest March on record in ireland, after March 2023.
    Those I think are the monthly records exceeded in ireland last year.

    4
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    Mute Michael McGrath
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    Jan 13th 2025, 10:35 AM

    @donal O’brien: I drive to work every morning in a car pool with 3 others and i can tell you it was a source of much incredulity and laughter in the car when the newscaster duly without fail reported each month as the hottest on record, that may not be what the official records state but thats what was reported on the radio, and also the statement that it was warmer at night and thats why we didnt realise it was so hot

    1
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    Mute Michael McGrath
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    Jan 13th 2025, 10:43 AM

    @Patrick Newell: It absolutely should have been a red warning in the likes of North Cork, Limerick, Kerry, Kilkenny ,Tipperary and North Waterford, I live in Tipperary and I only eventually got out on Friday and even that was only after we cleared 20 yards of my drive with a shovel and rake. We got 14 inches of snow and many areas of high ground got similar. They are reluctant to issue red warnings because it has a direct implication on business and their obligations towards their workers. I heard of several stories that some employers disciplined their employees because they could not get into work because of the snow if it was a red they couldnt do that

    3
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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:08 PM

    Weather forecasts for snowflakes

    11
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    Mute Robert
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    Jan 12th 2025, 9:56 PM

    They’ve studied meteorology, right?

    10
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    Mute Jack Hayes
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:18 PM

    @Robert: Yep, from Mrs Miggins’ Facebook page, like every dim bulb who DoEs HiS oWn ReSeArCh

    12
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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Jan 12th 2025, 10:16 PM

    No more frost till the end of the month, warm air from the bay of biscay

    9
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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Jan 12th 2025, 11:40 PM

    Q? What are all the snow-men on here all the week telling tall tales called? A. Snow-flakes.

    5
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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 13th 2025, 8:02 AM

    LMAO, people offended by information about the weather!! if you don’t like then jog on

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    Mute Tony
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    Jan 13th 2025, 12:52 PM

    Because they are more accurate than met Éireann. They are a joke. Should be disbanded and their fancy building turned into apartments.

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    Mute Michael Murphy
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    Jan 13th 2025, 10:04 AM

    If it happens at the weekend forget about it. It seems like Met Eireann don’t work the weekends.

    1
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    Mute Steve Davis
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    Jan 13th 2025, 12:59 PM

    Both Irelands Weather Channel and Carlow Weather LOVE the attention when they get their predictions right – but can’t deal with criticisim when they get it wrong. They’re like a big sulky child. And if you criticise them on social media and call them out over duff forecasts, you just get blocked like I did. Childish behaviour IMO. Anyone can predict the weather, eventually you will be right at some stage. But Met Eireann are an absolute disgrace and should be shut down.

    1
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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Jan 13th 2025, 5:11 PM

    Met Eireann if anybody bothers to go to their website give detail explanations to all of the different situations countrywide.
    I was helping a friend who was painting a pub. I was able to tell him when to go on lunch or to have a cup of tea as we were going to get rain. I had it down so well we never got wet.
    If all you read are the headlines, it is your own fault if you get caught out!

    1
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