Opposition leaders to declare no confidence in Dail speaker
Verona Murphy faces criticism for her handling of an acrimonious sitting on Tuesday when contentious changes to speaking rights were voted through.
Opposition leaders are set to tell the speaker of Ireland’s parliament they have no confidence in her.
The move against Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy comes following a meeting of the leaders of the main opposition parties on Wednesday morning to discuss their response after the Dail was disrupted on Tuesday amid an acrimonious row on speaking time changes.
It is understood Ms Murphy will be informed that the opposition leaders have no confidence in her at the start of the scheduled Leaders’ Questions session in the Dail at midday.
However, a formal motion of no confidence is not expected to be tabled immediately, with leaders instead set to make statements to the Dail on the matter.
There were chaotic scenes of shouting, interruptions and allegations of misogyny on Tuesday as weeks of tension over the speaking rights row boiled over during Leaders’ Questions.
Ms 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.
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.
The dispute delayed Micheal Martin’s nomination as Taoiseach in January and has trundled on despite several inter-party meetings and the intervention of the Ceann Comhairle, in favour of the opposition.
Tensions boiled over on Tuesday with the Dail witnessing angry scenes as Ms Murphy presided over a vote on the changes.
Mr Martin has accused the opposition of trying to bully and intimidate Ms Murphy, and said it “marked a new low” for the opposition.
“The prolonged barracking and the disgraceful lack of respect for the mandates of elected deputies was shocking in its intensity,” he said.
He said the actions of opposition have been “completely disproportionate over what is essentially an additional eight minutes of speaking time on two days in the Dail”.
“The opposition have not lost a single minute of their time or ability to hold government to account,” he said.
Deputy premier Simon Harris said the disruption was “regrettable, unseemly and unbecoming”.
Mr Harris said the level of anger displayed by the opposition was “disproportionate” and did not “indicate a willingness to try and find a way forward here”.
Speaking to reporters in Lebanon, Mr Harris said the public wanted to see elected representatives work on the issues facing Ireland, including housing, economic headwinds from the EU-US trade dispute and the safety of Irish peacekeepers abroad.
“What has happened in the Dail is really regrettable, really unbecoming, really unseemly, but we’ve got to move forward now, because I think the people who pay our wages, our bosses, the people of Ireland, want us to get on with it,” he said.
Asked if Government could do anything to ameliorate opposition concerns, he suggested the re-establishment of committees may see a return to cross-party work.
“The Dail needs to get into that rhythm now,” said Mr Harris.
He added: “We need to move on and restore decorum in the Dail chamber.”
Asked about an incident during Tuesday’s session in which Government-supporting independent TD Michael Lowry raised two fingers up to members of the opposition, Mr Harris said: “I think that was also unseemly and unbecoming, but I think that behaviour wasn’t isolated to any one deputy.
“Because I think when you have grown men standing up and shouting and roaring at the Ceann Comhairle and refusing to follow her direction – a person who was elected to implement the rules of the House.
“You know the rules are very simple.
“When the Ceann Comhairle stands up, you sit down.
“And to see adults standing up, shouting and roaring, hooping and hollering, isn’t anything you’d want see in any workplace, least of all the Dail.”
