Row over opposition speaking rights leads to delay in electing Taoiseach
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The row which led to lengthy delays in electing Ireland’s next Taoiseach stemmed from a move by independent politicians to form a “technical group”, which would give them speaking rights from the opposition benches. There has been pushback from opposition parties to allow members of the Independent Regional Group, who agreed to support the the Government, to be given these rights.
Dail rules state that a number of TDs can come together to get similar speaking rights and Dail time to those afforded to political parties. Seven TDs from the Independent Regional Group negotiated with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to agree a Programme for Government and to back the Government throughout its lifetime.
Some of those TDs – Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole – want to join Danny Healy-Rae, Independent TD Carol Nolan and Aontu’s Peadar Toibin and Paul Lawless to form the technical group. The Ceann Comhairle (House speaker) Verona Murphy has allowed the move for now.
That has led to the chaotic scenes that descended on the Dail on Wednesday as TDs clashed over the decision. Ms Murphy was forced to suspend Dail proceedings for almost half an hour, but less than two minutes after it resumed, the chamber was once again interrupted by angry scenes.
Several Sinn Fein representatives have objected to Government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business. In particular, they noted that Sinn Fein had received more seats than Fine Gael in the election. The party’s chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn called for the Dail to be suspended for an urgent meeting of the Business Committee over the dispute.
