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MEMBERS OF THE newly-formed Reform Alliance have put down a motion calling for additional places to be added to certain Oireachtas committees.
The self-labelled ‘exiled’ members of Fine Gael have looked for appointments to specific groups in a motion set out in today’s Order Paper.
TD Denis Naughten told TheJournal.ie last night that they want the government to follow the example of the Ceann Comhairle and provide members not aligned to any particular political grouping a place on the committees.
In a surprise move, Seán Barrett granted the 12 TDs who have lost the Labour and Fine Gael party whip since taking office speaking time on government business for this Dáil session.
It was a development welcomed by the Reform Alliance, which includes Lucinda Creighton, Peter Mathews, Terence Flanagan and Billy Timmins, as well as Naughten.
The motion put down today – but which the TDs cannot actually move – asks for five committees to be expanded by one place each.
Creighton is seeking an appointment to the Committee on Public Accounts, while Mathews would like his place back on the Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Committee.
Timmins has looked to be appointed to the Foreign Affairs and Trade group and Flanagan wants on the Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht Committee.
Finally, Naughten has sought a place on the Agriculture Committee.
It will ultimately be the government’s decision if the requests will be granted.
It is understood the decision to grant Dáil speaking rights to the group was taken solely by the Ceann Comhairle. It came in the wake of reported disagreements between Barrett and government over a lack of consultation on Dáil reform proposals announced last week and a row over the appointment of a new clerk of Dáil Éireann to succeed to the retired Kieran Coughlan.
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It’s hilarious really. I heard a supporter of lucinda say that lucinda is entitled to speaking time etc etc as she is democratically elected by the people. While this is of course accurate, it is also then accurate that lucinda has no business fighting the democratic will of the people in the 2 referenda where they made their decision on protection of women be known. Fairly ironic really!
I still can’t get past the fact that they called themselves the RA.
Shoul this advertisement for Lucinda not be coloured yellow and classed as a ‘Suggested Post’?
Bunch of wasters.
‘Reform Alliance’ members can bloody well see if they can get themselves elected as independents if they want such rights. If they can’t do that they should have toed the party line.
And do you want the same treatment to apply to Roisin Shorthall and the ousted Labour members?
The is becoming as banal as the Pat Kenny going to Newstalk bladder, enough already.
Pat Kenny went to newstalk??
Oh have you not heard? It was my understanding that everyone had heard…..
Nice try stevie, already been done a few months back though. :)
A-well-a, don’t you know about the………
Are these now the official ‘RA?
Continuity Fine Gael
It’s getting a bit ridiculous now. If it keeps going like this no TD will fear losing the whip and the Dail will be one big technical group serving egos rather than people…
All the rights of being in a separate political party without being brave enough to leave the current party. Creighton has some ego on her.
To a cynic it might seem like FG and Labor are trying to dilute the opposition and flood committees with more of their people.
Pain in my rocks looking at their
Smug mushes and hearing about
Their nua snout in the trough party
Anthony
We’re you trying to write modern poetry?
One word: Greedy.
Who gives a Rat’s Posterior !
What a bunch of self-servings cads.
Of course they want to be on dem com-mit-tees.
Thats where the gravy is.
Only the chairs of committees receive payments, or used to at least. There was talk
Ordinary Senators and TDs who are committee members don’t receive any additional payments.
Sinead, do you have ‘Lucinda Quotas’ on your article output in the Journal? Enough coverage of these turncoats please.
The lot of them, each and every politician in this country sickens me.
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