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VERONA MURPHY has won the first-ever Dáil vote of confidence in a Ceann Comhairle by 96 votes to 71. There were two abstentions.
Addressing the Dáil after the vote, which had largely emptied out after the vote, Murphy said she bears no “ill will” to members of the House, stating:
My door is always open.
The Ceann Comhairle said that despite over 20 hours of “full and frank” discussions on the speaking rights row, a consensus could not be reached, “despite my earnest efforts to mediate”.
She acknowledged that some would be “unhappy” over this.
“I will continue to uphold my solemn declaration to vindicate the rights of all members and administer the rules,” she said, stating she would do so in an impartial and fair manner.
TDs from both sides of the Dáil were almost on their best behaviour this afternoon as the debate on the motion of confidence in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy got underway.
Ahead of the vote, TDs debated whether they have confidence in Verona Murphy or not, but there was a sense of calmness in the Dáil today that has not been seen in recent weeks.
Today’s motion is the first time a vote of confidence has ever taken place for a Ceann Comhairle.
Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, Independent Ireland and People Before Profit tabled a motion of no confidence in the Ceann Comhairle last week after chaotic scenes in the Dáil on Tuesday.
They allege that she failed to act impartially and favoured the Government in her actions last week.
During today’s debate, TDs from the Government benches called for a restoration of respect in the house.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the country does not have “time to waste” on the confidence motion.
“Our country is facing enormous threats, threats which may be felt in every community and every household – tariffs, housing, disability and so forth,” he said.
“We do not have the time to waste on this effort to remove the Ceann Comhairle because she wouldn’t bow down before an opposition which demands that the minority have the right to veto our business,” the Taoiseach added.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Simon Harris asked opposition TDs involved in disruption and disorder last week to apologise to parliamentary staff.
The Tánaiste said that without the clerk of the Dáil Peter Finnegan, his team and the Oireachtas ushers, Leinster House and the Dáil “would simply not function”.
Amid disorder in the chamber last week, he said “they went about their work with diligence, and they were subjected to a bitter and aggressive cacophony, and an atmosphere of hostility and anger”.
“It was utterly unacceptable. It was utterly embarrassing and I would call on those who engaged in such behaviour to apologise to the staff of this House, and in the words of the clerk, the staff who endured ‘a very difficult day’,” the Tánaiste said.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil that Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy showed an “unprecedented and frankly breathtaking display of bias” last week.
McDonald said the Ceann Comhairle made three decisions exposing bias last week; failing to hold a vote on Dail business when one was called; cancelling questions on promised legislation; and failing to put the Government motion to a vote.
The latter allegation is part of Sinn Féin’s contention that the Dáil actually voted on the Opposition amendment to the motion and thus the rules on speaking rights have not actually been changed.
McDonald said: “Dáil business was dispensed with to achieve the Government’s desired outcome.”
She said there had been “shameless co-ordination and co-operation between the Ceann Comhairle and the Government”.
“The actions of the Ceann Comhairle have been neither impartial nor independent, quite the opposite. The credibility of the Ceann Comhairle now lies in tatters, having lost the confidence of the opposition.
“For the Ceann Comhairle to fulfill their duties, they must enjoy the confidence of both Government and opposition. Teachta Murphy does not – and must go.”
During the debate, multiple members of the Opposition, including the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, expressed their disappointment with “the two centre left” parties – Labour and the Social Democrats.
Minister for Higher Education James Lawless hit out specifically at the Social Democrats, dubbing the party “the Social Media Democrats” and a “fundamentally unserious party”.
Meanwhile, Arts Minister Patrick O’Donovan said the people he was “most disappointed in” where the Labour Party.
“Of all parties you should remember what was done to your former leader Joan Burton, another woman who herself held a constitutional officer position and who herself had to confront, I would say, the sort of behaviour not too dissimilar to what we saw in this chamber last week,” he said.
O’Donovan said the behaviour in the Dáil last week resembled “something that came out of Harcourt Street at three or four o’clock in the morning.”
“And [Verona Murphy] was right. You were an absolute, total and utter disgrace. Grown men, for the most part, roaring and shouting at a constitutional officer,” he added.
A number of TDs rounded on those in opposition who protested loudly last week against the changes imposed on speaking rights.
Independent Galway TD Sean Canney said “you would swear drink was taken” last week, though he pointed out that there were sober people in the chamber last week roaring and shouting at the Ceann Comhairle.
Kerry Minister of State Michael Healy Rae said: “What is grubby about forming a government… what is grubby about getting down to work for the people.”
He asked what will happen after the vote this evening, questioning if pairing options will be withdrawn by the opposition.
Ahead of the Dáil debate, a number of Opposition TDs raised the issue on the plinth earlier today.
Independent Ireland’s three TDs called on Verona Murphy to resign, with TD Ken O’Flynn telling reporters:
“I’d appeal to her now, fall on your sword and resign for the good of democracy, for the good of this country. That’s what you need to do to restore people’s faith in you, and then we can move on.”
Party leader Michael Collins said today’s vote is “not the fault of the Opposition” and he linked it back to Regional Independent TD Michael Lowry.
“It looks to me as if Deputy Lowry is wagging the tail of this Government, as he has been for the last number of months,” he said.
He added: “It looks to me, too, in the last month or so that deputies that were sitting beside him are all running to try and get away from him right now, because he’s damaging them.”
This was a reference to Regional Independent TD Barry Heneghan’s announcement this week that he is moving seats in the Dáil away from Lowry.
Later, during the same press conference, O’Flynn claimed that Lowry is a “secret Taoiseach”.
“The man is running the country from the back seat,” O’Flynn claimed.
“It’s been ran [by] a back seat driver, something you would see maybe in Asia, or one of these crazy movies where somebody is pulling the strings in the background,” he added.
Labour deputy leader Ged Nash said “there’s a job of work to be done” to resolve the row, stating that the Ceann Comhairle needs to “build bridges” with the opposition.
The debate is currently ongoing, stay with us as we bring you the latest.
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