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SEÁN Ó FEARGHAÍL is considering seeking the Ceann Comhairle role in the 34th Dáil, despite the fact the Fianna Fáil Kildare South TD previously said he would not go for a third term.
Sources have said Ó Fearghaíl, who has held the role since 2016, has been approached by a number of TDs from different parties, suggesting that he contest the position in the interests of stability and continuity.
However a councillor for Newbridge, which is in Kildare South, has criticised Ó Fearghaíl, saying that he would leave the constituency under-represented if he becomes Ceann Comhairle again.
The Ceann Comhairle is essentially a chairperson role in the Dáil, tasked with keeping order among TDs who are speaking on the floor. The position is filled through a secret ballot by elected politicians in the Dáil.
Whoever is elected to the role is required to step back from national campaigns and politics for the duration of their term. Therefore, the TD is automatically re-elected at the next election as they did not get an opportunity to represent their constituents.
Ó Fearghaíl has now been re-elected automatically in the last two elections, having been elected to the role first in 2016. Ahead of the most-recent general election the TD said he would not be seeking re-nomination as the Ceann Comhairle.
It is understood that Ó Fearghaíl had already begun to pack away his office in preparation to step back and return to the Fianna Fáil backbenches. A source close to the TD said other politicians approached him, asking him to reconsider.
The vote will take place on 18 December, the first day of the new Dáil.
Chris Pender, a Kildare Social Democrats councillor and a representative of the same electorate in Ó Fearghaíl’s constituency, has questioned whether it is right for Ó Fearghaíl to seek re-election.
Posting to X, referring to the reports, Pender said: “If true this is beyond a joke. The people of Kildare South have been sorely underrepresented since March 2016 with only three voices on the floor instead of four.”
Pender said he believes there needs to be term limits, suggesting that otherwise politicians could seek to serve as Ceann Comhairle ‘indefinitely’. He later told The Journal that he would like to see the role reformed.
It is understood that Ó Fearghaíl is conscious of the time he has spent in the role and plans to step back from it during this incoming Dáil term. It is further understood that he will not contest the next general election.
Pender said that TDs could seek to make legislative changes to create term limits on the role, or an informal agreement could be agreed upon among TDs. He said the current arrangement is amounting to a “democratic deficit” for the electorate in Kildare South.
“It is one of the most important roles in the Dáil, and while I have no issue with the system, it looks like there’s an opportunity for this happen indefinitely – and that’s not right,” he said.
If Ó Fearghaíl is returned to the role, it will mean Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will be two votes short of a working majority, rather than one, and will need to factor that in when considering who its next coalition partner will be.
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They pay themselves well. Multimillionaire for chairing debates
@common sense: Actual LOL at anyone thinking that you’d become a multi millionaire on a TD salary
@Jason Memail: your a bit naive to think they only receive a salary. Expenses and backhanders are they main source of income for these fat cats
@Jason Memail: As Ceann Comhairle he absolutely became a millionaire, for sitting in the Dail for 9 years ringing his bell and calling for order. 200k + a year for 9 years, allowing for tax etc, definitely took home over a million. That’s not even factoring in his pension.. Their pensions,especially ministerial ones, are eye watering.. Check out the pension Simon Covney and Leo walked off into the sunset with ! There is a lot of money in politics.. and some absolutely become millionaires through it. So I wouldn’t be so quick to be LOLing
@Jason Memail: if they’re there long enough they will soon rack up a nice tidy sum, a million or 2 is not impossible
@Brian: They don’t walk away with a pension they have to wait until 66 to get itb
He’s earning €227k a year only a few grand less than the Taoiseach with none of the stress or traveling around Ireland or Europe. Off course he wants to stay on for another term
@Orban Orban: plus he is guaranteed re election in next election
@Orban Orban: You know he must be good at it considering how long and popular he is at the job…
Your job is to manage 174 strong minded people who have different agendas…
Got to laugh at the begrudgers on this site… Any of ye could have run for Dail and try and get elected… Did any of ye even try?
@Jack Dermody: any point? 70+ year old blokes with the same agendas just get re-elected each time.
@Jack Dermody: 174? There’s never more than about 6 in the chamber most of the time.
@Jack Dermody: they are a silly lot they don’t have a clue its an important job & certainly not a easy one, He has to be Neutral at all times & keeping law & order with a 174 TD’s not mix with them & its enough to watch them on TV Good luck to him
@Orban Orban: Does he really get paid that much? He certainly doesn’t “earn” it. Is he actually paid that much?
@Jack Dermody: I wouldn’t run, Jack. I’m an honest man. I wouldn’t fit in.
Another turncoat
What?, a politician changes their mind?, well I never
put him in one of them tents outside leinster house they all the same crowd
No shame
The AI images of the quaint irish are hilarious as hell. The guy with the two lasses and child, are they both his wives? And the children in the boreen look suspiciously like the banjo playing kid in Deliverance. Whoever made those images was taking the mick out of those they are aimed at.
The FFG way
@Kevin O Brien: probably something to do with the Constitution, I’m not sure
A doddle of a job for him – he didn’t have to canvas or work for his position – lucky him
@Mike Ryan: no doddle enlighten yourself
Another left wing wokist.
There must be some more paedos needing a character reference.
Why shouldn’t he look for another 5 years sitting on his ass, talking crap while pretending he is actually useful. After his party have wrecked the country even more he can then swan off back to his normal TD job.
@Gerry Lamont: He is not standing next time & its an important job maybe enlighten yourself about what it entails
Mmmm another one who thought I’ll stay another year. Put another 100 grand in the bank. Sure what else would I be doing. It will all help towards the pension as well. No brainier really.
I welcome this development
How about get an outsider to be head of the Dail instead of the current charade of guillotining legislation through when it comes to period of rushing laws through.
Aul China’s lapdog himself
This lad is abusing the electoral system. If he is appointed CC again, he will be automatically returned to the dail once more in 5 years’ time. That means he won’t have gone before the electorate for 12 or 13 years!
@Ray Hammond: He is retiring next time no standing again
Lied to his voters
@MN: When public figures make statements like this it should be in writing and binding. The “best of a bad lot” President is another example.
@Vincent Alexander: Ease off our President. Tommy Tiernan summed him up very well on last week’s Late Late show.
@Declan Reidy: Didn’t hear it. Doubt if would have changed my opinion.
@Vincent Alexander: Just looked at the clip to refresh my memory who Tommy Tierney was. Result – one pathetic interviewer talking to another. Definitely hasn’t changed my opinion of Higgins.
Leave it up to SF and we will get someone of the calibre of The Surgeon from Armagh or Donnelly ( aka O’Donnghaile ). Or similar as directed by the Ard Comhairle.
I like Sean, he is one of the good guys, and has a smile that could light up Kildare
@Fintan Pox: you would have a smile that would light up a room too of you were perched in his chair
@Fintan Pox: dream on
He wants another shoe-in come the next election. We really need to reform the electoral rules so that the Speaker of the House is automatically re-elected and has to answer to his or her constituents just like anybody else.
@Frank O’Hara: Maybe enlighten yourself He is not standing in the next election
@Frank O’Hara: He is not standing next time
@Frank O’Hara: Shockingly poor TD, he should have resigned in shame for his Character Reference for a Paedophile, what kind of Human Being writes a character reference for a Paedo. His faux outrage about the Bicycle shed, when he is on the Oireachtas Committee that called for it. So many Leas Ceann Comhairle’s now for when he is missing, he was a waste of a vote for his Constituents.
have your say