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TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS and Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns had a heated exchange in the Dáil today, after Cairns accused Harris of failing to invest in public services.
During Leaders’ Questions, Cairns reiterated that the creation of a standalone Department of Disability would be a red line issue for the Social Democrats after the upcoming election.
She said the current Government has “let down” disabled people, despite Harris’s promise that disability rights would be a priority for him as Taoiseach.
“You even set up a new Cabinet sub committee to focus on this issue. What has it achieved? Nothing.
Services are worse than they were when this government took office, people no longer even have any kind of expectation that they’ll get the critical supports that they need.
“They’ve learned by experience that the only things they’re guaranteed from the state are waiting lists and excuses,” Cairns said.
The Cork South West TD added that Fine Gael has been in Government for most of her adult life and despite having more than enough time and money, has failed to address the issue.
She also accused the Government of “splashing the cash” ahead of the election, with its various double social welfare payments before Christmas.
In response, the Taoiseach said he believes her suggestion of a standalone Department of Disability “has merit” and is a “constructive, sensible one”.
He added that he hopes Cairns is “telling people on the doors, which of the splashing the cash payments” she would like to see cancelled.
“Because I invited you the last time to email me on this, and you haven’t.”
The Taoiseach then told Cairns “not to lecture” him on the lived experience of disability.
Harris has frequently spoken of how he first became interested in politics as a teenager because of a lack of services for his autistic brother Adam. Adam Harris is now the CEO of the national autism charity AsIAm.
“I know my lived experience. I know exactly what it’s like to have to fight every single day for a service. I know exactly what it’s like to watch my mother have to get in the car and drive two hours to get my brother to the school.
I don’t need a lecture from you on what the lived experience is like.”
The Taoiseach then said Cairns had a “good idea” in relation to disability and that he would work with her in relation to that, but added:
“The disappointing thing is, all you wanted to do is slag me off.”
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People, not parties,, are elected to Dáil Éireann.
Depriving TDs speaking time because of internal party matters is an affront to democracy.
Kevin, all TD’s have the right to speak, but there is an order placed upon that right so that the larger parties are afforded the opportunity first, representative of their greater respresentative clout.
This system is required for the efficient and orderly debate of particular issues.
If you want to priorotise certain TD’s based on electoral clout then give the TD with the most votes priority. Not the party with most members.
If they can’t speak get the system changed or get rid of them with no pension or perks
The purpose of the meeting today is to secure speaking rights for the affected group, made up of former FGs.
I may be reading it wrong but it seems to me these TDs had speaking rights as FG members which they lost when they lost the Party whip.
They now want to obtain speaking rights as in their own right.
Democracy in action preventing some from speaking in the Dail because they disagreed about party policy. So much for Enda’s claim to be reforming how government works.
FG are really trying to punish & humiliate those ‘rebel’ TD’s
very petty & vindictive
Irish democracy is being revealed for the joke that it is.
It would appear that Enda and Hulk Hogan have succeeded in bringing us the transparent government they promised.
Who could disagree with that comment.
Methinks Kehoe has activated the YFGbots.
This system has been in place long before the FG/Lab government came to power and is represented across the chambers of nearly all other western democracies.
Show me a democracy that does not operate in this way.
This shure we de worst in the world rubbish is physically sickening. Grow a pair of balls ffs and instead of imagining that the world is laughing at you, or that Ireland is the only country with problems, get off your butts and do something.
doesnt mean it works
This government just keeps digging a deeper political grave for itself with every negative announcement they make.
They have their speaking rights at mass on Sundays
Not that I want to listen to a word from idiot Creighton or fool Timmons …but ain’t it slightly off the wall that elected TDs aren’t allowed to speak…..democracy haw are you !
“the coalition has no plans to amend Dáil standing orders”.
So where is the open and accountable Government we were promised?
Serves them right
Democratically elected Tds not allowed to speak in the national parliament.
That’s a bad thing, see?
Democracy = a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Leaves me to ask, what do you call the present system of government?
Ireland operates a Whipocracy …. NOT a Democracy.
Whipped TDs vote for vested interests not the interests of those who voted for them.
Local Property Tax … case in point.
Revenue voted power by Whipped TDs to get the Anglo Tax from your pay, pension or bank account.
Hostile action by Government against the electorate … not in Syria …. in Ireland.
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FB/LocalPropertyTax
I found this out today and it made my blood boil!!! Eammon Gilmore is on €152,000 a year, plus €48,000 ‘expenses’ and he has FIVE advisers on a combined total of €670,000 !! Just him alone is costing nearly 1million. Ffs like.
his ‘expenses’ are almost twice my salary
He also has unvouched allowances
for example €5000 per year dry cleaning…. !!!!
This is the Taoiseach whose political reform instincts we’re trusting if we abolish the Seanad; he *might* reform the Dáil, but all indications are that he won’t.
yer wan from the Vincent Browne show has nice legs !
Who is yer wan….???
Vincent?
The wan in the background talking to petey forer banker Matthews ; she’s wearing high heels and she does be on the telly so she does .
The new Labour Party watch this space .
There is nothing to stop these TDs joining the existing technical group in the Dail or forming another technical group with someone like Mattie McGrath. Under the rules of the Dail they only need a minimum of 7 TDs for form such a group in order to gain more speaking rights.
The reason this isn’t happening is nothing to do with standing orders, but because it would effect the income “entitlements” of those TDs. This is while Healy Rae & McGrath chose not to be in the first technical group. The earn more money by being out of it.
There are 166 TDs in the Dail. If they each were allowed 5 mins a day speaking time then that would be 13 hours and 50 minutes each day excluding votes, debate and questions. Doesn’t seem workable.
you are assuming that they all turn up to the Dail every day
have your say