PRESSURE IS MOUNTING on Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy as the opposition unites in their position that it no longer has confidence in her. 

However, this evening, Murphy said she has no plans to resign. 

There were fiery exchanges in the Dáil this afternoon, when Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald kicked things off by telling Murphy that her position is untenable.

“You need to go,” McDonald told Murphy, accusing her of showing bias in favour of the government and of “taking a wrecking ball” to government procedure.

What next for the Ceann Comhairle? 

Murphy now has a choice to make: she can face down the opposition in a vote likely to take place next week or leave her position. 

Today, the opposition gave Murphy until the end of the week to resign or else face a no confidence motion. 

Motion of no confidence 

The motion, which was submitted this evening, according to Sinn Féin, states:

“That the Ceann Comhairle no longer retains the confidence of all members of Dáil Éireann”.

The motion of no confidence is sponsored by party leaders, Mary Lou McDonald, Ivana Bacik, Cian O’Callaghan, Richard Boyd Barrett and Michael Collins.

Notably, Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman, who stood beside the other party leaders yesterday on the plinth, has not co-signed the motion today.  

Murphy said in a statement this evening that she has no intention of going anywhere. 

The Ceann Comhairle said she was elected by the majority of members of the Dáil and her office has endeavoured “in utmost good faith” to sort out the speaking rights row over a two-month period. 

Despite months of negotiation, no consensus or resolution could be found, she said. 

“I have loyally, scrupulously, and impartially adhered to my solemn undertakings made to the House, and through the House to the Irish people,” she said this evening. 

“Prolonged disorder and obstruction is utterly unacceptable in any democratic parliament. So too is making false accusations of partiality and collusion against its officials and Chair.

“By virtue of the independence of the office of Ceann Comhairle, I am in the unenviable position that I cannot descend at will into debate to defend myself against the entirely false allegations of collusion made against me in the Dáil today,” Murphy said. 

The Ceann Comhairle said she categorically rejects “totally unfounded allegations” made against her, stating that she has always acted on the advice of the impartial officials present.

“I fully intend to continue to carry out the onerous office to which I was elected in accordance with the solemn undertakings I gave the Dáil upon my election,” she said, urging all members of the House to “abide by their own constitutional obligations, to refrain from disorder and to respect the rights and dignity of every other member”.

In addition to the statement from the Ceann Comhairle, correspondence from the Dáil Clerk, Peter Finnegan, to Murphy was also released this evening, which outlines that the Ceann Comhairle exercised her discretion to proceed directly to Order of Business yesterday, without holding a vote, due to the “significant level of disorder” in the chamber.  

Calls to step aside

Sinn Féin Chief Whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said the Ceann Comhairle said Murphy should “step aside” as she has lost the confidence of the “entire Opposition” in the Dáil.

Will the government support the Ceann Comhairle and put down a countermotion? 

Houses of the Oireachtas / Flickr Houses of the Oireachtas / Flickr / Flickr

A government source told The Journal that “vote or no vote”, the government has confidence in the Ceann Comhairle. 

In terms of a countermotion of confidence in Murphy, it is understood that government will consider the matter when it arises. 

The motion of no confidence will almost certainly be defeated as the government parties and groupings will support her.

However, that would not be the end of the matter. 

Those in opposition have said its protest will continue, even if the motion is defeated. 

Asked this evening, Sinn Féin’s Rose Conway-Walsh, said if her party’s motion is defeated on Tuesday, the matter will be discussed between all opposition parties as to “what happens in that case”.

The authority of the chair 

The difficulty for Murphy going forward, after defeating such a motion, would be her maintaining her authority and being seen as impartial, which the opposition have clearly said they do not believe she is. 

Along the corridors of Leinster House, politicians has been recalling similar circumstances in which a Ceann Comhairle found himself in bother. 

In the dark days of the recession in 2009, it was revealed that Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry and Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue had run up over €200,000 in lavish expenses in just two years.

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O’Donoghue stepped down after Eamon Gilmore, then leader of the Labour Party, told him in the Dáil that his position was “no longer tenable”. O’Donoghue stepped aside before the matter went to a vote of confidence. 

Politicians The Journal spoke to today said there is one key difference, in that Murphy has the confidence of government, something O’Donoghue did not, meaning he had to step aside. 

There is a view that Murphy “hasn’t a notion of stepping down”.

Speaking rights row 

The current situation emerged after chaotic scenes of shouting, interruptions and allegations of misogyny in the Dáil yesterday, where the speaking rights row boiled over during Leaders’ Questions.

Murphy faced continual interruptions as she tried to continue proceedings as opposition TDs took to their feet and objected to the Government’s proposals to change speaking time arrangements.

She declared the changes to the standing orders passed before adjourning the Dail. However, opposition leaders insist the vote was not properly conducted.

They also accused her of earlier pushing through the government’s proposed order of business for the Dail without acknowledging an opposition request for a vote.

The row has its origins in the formation of Ireland’s current coalition involving Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, supported by several independent TDs.

Some of those independents have been appointed as junior ministers while the others had sought to join an opposition technical group for the purposes of speaking time, despite supporting the formation of government.

The controversial changes to standing orders include the creation of new speaking slots for coalition backbenchers and Government-aligned independents, a reduction of time for contributions on debating the order of business, and a halving of slots for Taoiseach’s Questions.

Opposition parties are vehemently opposed to the changes, characterising them as an attempt to dilute their ability to hold the government to account and to blur the relationship between the independents who have supported the formation of the coalition.

While the Taoiseach and ministers continue to avoid questions from the opposition about Michael Lowry’s role in government and what deal was struck with him, they continue to focus on how the changes will benefit backbench TDs and their speaking time. 

While there is a hope within government that the speaking rights row will dissipate and the public will become tiresome of the issue, there is no sign of it, as the opposition continue to hammer the government with the simple message: that you can’t be in opposition and government at the same time. 

With additional reporting by PA