By Gráinne Ní Aodha and Cillian Sherlock, PA
A row that disrupted Dáil to elect the next Taoiseach has been resolved after an intervention from the Ceann Comhairle.
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 Dáil reform was needed to recognise Independents who are supportive of the Government.
Opposition parties disrupted the Dáil 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 Micheál Martin as Taoiseach while a resolution was found.
In the two weeks since then, efforts by the Government and opposition TDs to find a compromise had failed.
Of the nine Independents involved in government formation talks with the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael Government – seven from the Regional Independent Group and brothers Michael and Danny Healy-Rae – five are Ministers of State.
Four other Independents – Mr Lowry, Gillian Toole, Barry Heneghan and Danny Healy-Rae – want to be part of a technical group, which would give them Dáil speaking slots during opposition time.
The Ceann Comhairle weighed in on the row on Monday to say that these four 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 Dáil reform committee to ensure speaking rights for all members are upheld.”
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 Dáil 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 Dáil 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 the Government, and that has to be accommodated in any new procedures.”
Speaking ahead of the Dáil Reform Committee meeting at noon, acting leader of the Social Democrats Cian O’Callaghan said that Ms Murphy’s decision “vindicates what we’ve been saying” and “draws a line in the sand”.
Mr O’Callaghan said it would be in “very bad faith” for the Government to change the standing orders in a way that would not be agreeable to the opposition, as it would go against a commitment made during a meeting of the party leaders.
He said it 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.”
