EXACTLY TWO WEEKS after being thrown out of the Dáil, independent TD Peter Mathews was ordered to take another walk today.
Mathews clashed with the Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett as he attempted to ask the Taoiseach about the government’s plans to reduce the term of bankruptcy to one year and the case of Ibrahim Halawa on the Dáil’s Order of Business today.
But his refusal to resume his seat when ordered to do so resulted in him being asked to leave the chamber by Barrett:
The row began when Mathews pointed out that with just 11 working days left before Christmas the bankruptcy legislation need to be enacted and operational “to prevent the banks from continuing to financially waterboard families, destroy them and cause suicides”.
Then when he attempted to raise the Halawa case, he was told by Barrett that it could not be done on the Order of Business.
The chair pointed out that he’d ordered Mathews out of the house two weeks ago.
Barrett then repeatedly ordered Mathews to resume his seat, but the Dublin South deputy was having none of it insisting:
I have no rights of speaking in this house, effectively.
Barrett insisted this wasn’t the case and continued to order Mathews to sit down, saying he was out of order. Mathews disagreed:
I am not, I’m not… I am most respectful of courtesy and graciousness in this House.
Ironically, Enda Kenny was in a position to answer both questions, saying the bankruptcy legislation would come before cabinet next Tuesday.
He added that Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan will be updating the Foreign Affairs committee on the Halawa case this evening.
But Mathews still wouldn’t stay quiet leaving Barrett with no option but to order him out.
Somewhat surprisingly, the former Fine Gael TD was happy to oblige:
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