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MICHAEL HEALY-RAE has claimed that opposition parties “attempted to muzzle” TDs who support the government during the row over Dáil speaking time.
Normal parliamentary business is expected to resume today after the speaking time row for government-affiliated independents appeared to be resolved.
The row centred on a move to allocate opposition speaking time to some independents who had been involved in government formation talks.
"The rest of you ran away from it."
— TonightVMTV (@TonightVMTV) February 4, 2025
Despite the Dáil speaking row being resolved for now, a debate breaks about between @MHealyRae and @SineadGibney on Government formation. #TonightVMTV pic.twitter.com/BRA1I77gbD
Healy-Rae, who recently became Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, told Virgin Media’s The Tonight Show that the opposition was “trying to silence the people that support” the government.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy was last month advised that Independent TDs who support the government yet want to be part of an opposition grouping could do so.
However, in a surprise statement late on Monday night, Murphy said the Regional Independents cannot form a technical group, which they had repeatedly requested in order to get speaking time in the Dáil.
A technical group must have five or more TDs to qualify for Dáil speaking rights.
Such speaking rights include the ability to raise issues with the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions, something not available to Government backbench TDs or independent TDs who are not part of a technical group.
The plans for a Regional Independents Technical group was outlined last month by Michael Lowry, who has publicly stated that he will support the government.
Yesterday, Lowry said he accepts the decision reached by Murphy on speaking rights in the Dáil, adding that he “wasn’t surprised” by the decision.
But while he said he accepted the ruling, Lowry indicated that he wants the Standing Orders or rules of the Dáil to be changed as a result of her ruling.
He said Murphy’s ruling highlights the “urgent necessity” to reform the Dáil’s procedures and practices “to give emphasis on how independents who are supportive of government can be accommodated”.
Speaking to Virgin Media last night, Healy-Rae claimed that opposition parties were “giving the impression that these people were taking time from opposition”.
“They weren’t,” said Healy-Rae in relation to the government supporting TD who wanted to form a technical group.
“They were getting their own time – not government time, not opposition time. The proposal was that they would have their own time.
“And would the opposition agree to that? No way. Why? Because they want to box them into a corner.”
Michael Healy-Rae discusses the legal advice that the Ceann Comhairle received on the Regional Independent TD's forming a technical group.#TonightVMTV pic.twitter.com/xAM60gKnCW
— TonightVMTV (@TonightVMTV) February 4, 2025
Healy-Rae added that the row was a “blatant attempt at muzzling” these independent TDs, which includes Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Danny Healy-Rae.
“All of the opposition came together, they gave this narrative out to the media, and I really think that the people of Ireland are getting the complete wrong end of the stick,” said Healy-Rae.
“When you vote for an independent, is that person entitled to go up and raise issues in the Dáil, even if they’re man or woman enough to support the government. Because the rest of you ran away from it, you didn’t want it.
“Somebody had to stand up, we need a government, now we have it, and they’re trying to silence the people that support it.”
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy said she had “carefully considered legal advice, submissions and other materials which are in the public domain” before making her decision on speaking time rights.
While Healy-Rae said he “very much respect the legal advice”, he said people should “remember that every court case has people on this side and that side, and then there’s another side in the middle”.
“The Ceann Comhairle did get differing legal advice, and she chose to go with the legal advice that said no to this technical group, that was her decision and everybody is going to accept that for now,” said Healy-Rae.
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