Dail row over speaking time resolved after Ceann Comhairle’s intervention
Verona Murphy decided that government-affiliated TDs can not be considered as members of the opposition.
A row that disrupted parliamentary procedures to elect an Irish premier has been resolved after an intervention from the speaker of the Dail chamber.
A Government spokesperson said they accepted Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy’s recommendation that government-affiliated independents should not be given speaking time during opposition slots.
Tipperary TD Michael Lowry, a lead negotiator for the independents, said he accepted Ms Murphy’s decision but added that Dail reform was needed to recognise independents who are supportive of government.
Opposition parties disrupted the Dail parliament two weeks ago to protest against giving independent TDs who had been involved in government formation talks opposition speaking time.
An agreement was made to allow for the appointment of Micheal Martin as Taoiseach while a resolution was found.
In the two weeks since then, efforts by Government and opposition TDs to find a compromise failed.
Of the nine independents involved in government formation talks with the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael Government – seven from the Regional Independent Group and two Kerry brothers Michael and Danny Healy-Rae – five are ministers of state.
Four other independents – Mr Lowry, Gillian Toole, Barry Heneghan and Danny Healy-Rae – wanted to be part of a technical group, which would give them Dail speaking slots during opposition time.
The Ceann Comhairle weighed in on the row on Monday to say that these four independent TDs should not be given opposition speaking time.
“In line with our consistent position that speaking time is a matter for the Oireachtas, the two Government parties accept the recommendation of the Ceann Comhairle,” a spokesperson for the Government said.
“The Government Chief Whip will continue to engage with the Dail reform committee to ensure speaking rights for all members are upheld.”
A spokesperson for Government Chief Whip Mary Butler said that they welcomed the decision of the Dail reform committee to work on reforming standing orders to ensure that “all TDs in the Dail will be able to access speaking time”.
“Minister Butler welcomes the constructive meeting of the Dail business committee today that ensures the Dail can resume tomorrow and begin addressing issues that the country wants their public representatives to be debating, namely the aftermath of Storm Eowyn.”
Mr Lowry, who led the Regional Independents in government formation talks and who Ms Murphy credited as suggesting her for the role of Ceann Comhairle, said he was “not surprised” by her decision.
“We accept the ruling. I think what the ruling does is it highlights the urgent necessity for Dail reform,” he told reporters at Leinster House.
He said there was a need for a “major body of work” to accommodate the needs of the government-affiliated independents.
“I think the Government are going to have to review this decision, they’re going to have to come forward with proposals.
“But the reality here in the Dail is that – as it stands at the moment – you have the Government and you have opposition, and I think somewhere in the middle you have rural independents who are supportive of government, and that has to be accommodated in any new procedures.”
Asked if he was now happy to sit on and speak from Government benches, Mr Lowry said: “Well all of that has to be decided. I don’t think seating arrangements are the issue.
“We always said we didn’t mind where the time came from, whether it was opposition or government time – so long as we were afforded that opportunity.”
He added: “We stepped up to the plate. We made the courageous decision to assist in the formation of government.
“And I don’t believe that any independents who are supportive of a government should be penalised by being disenfranchised from speaking.”
Dublin Bay North TD Mr Heneghan said he was “delighted” with Ms Murphy’s decision not to allow him and three other independents speaking slots during opposition time.
He criticised “the endless political dance” over speaking time in the Dail, and accused the Government and opposition of “playing their games”.
“If I can deliver, I don’t care if I’m shouting from O’Connell Street. I got elected to deliver and that’s what I’m here to do.”
He said that “no-one speaks on behalf of every independent politician” when asked about a statement made by Mr Lowry on how regional independents would support the Government.
“No one speaks on behalf of me other than me.”
Opposition parties came out on the plinth at Leinster House on Tuesday after the agreement by Government, hailing it as a victory for democracy.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that the Government has to “play by the rules”.
“We began this Dail term with the controversy around Government really overreaching itself, attempting to have supporters of government described as opposition members and to enjoy the benefits of that,” Ms McDonald said.
“So we’ve put a stop to that. The Government, as you have seen, have had to make a very significant climbdown.”
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that the Government had been “left with egg on their face” and that the stance by the regional independents was an “attempted stroke too far by the Lowry lads”.
“You can’t be in government and in opposition at the same time, it may be OK in Belarus or Russia, it’s not OK in a healthy democracy,” she said.
Labour TD Alan Kelly said the regional independents “have lost face” and claimed they were “willing to say anything to try and get their way”.
He said: “The show is over. Any talks about there being some other scenario that will emanate after this, given the Ceann Comhairle’s decision, is not going to happen.
“Dail reform, of course we’re all into Dail reform. The reality is, given the definitive nature of this decision, there is no means and no way that Michael Lowry or any of the rest of them can have any of the speaking times that they were looking for.”
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said that Ms Murphy made a “significant” adjudication on emails that were sent to her by the four TDs claiming they would vote “on a case by case basis”, but decided “these carried lesser weight than their previous public statements and actions” as they were sent “after controversy had arisen”.
“Really fair play to the Ceann for weighing these up,” he said.
Speaking ahead of the Dail Reform Committee meeting at noon on Tuesday, acting leader of the Social Democrats Cian O’Callaghan said that Ms Murphy’s decision represented a “significant win” for the opposition and “a win for our democratic procedures”.
“It is a clear signal to anyone who thinks that, through whatever forms of deals, (they) can try and undo the basic democratic procedures we’ve been operating on, in terms of government and opposition, it’s a clear signal to them that they won’t, can’t get away with these things.”
