THERE WAS CONFUSION on the plinth of Leinster House today as Aontú’s leader Peadar Tóibín articulated his party’s position on the speaking rights row and today’s motion of confidence in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy. 

“Aontú has decided to abstain in the vote of confidence today in the Dáil,” Tóibín told reporters as he was flanked by his colleagues Senator Sarah O’Reilly and TD Paul Lawless.

Tóibín explained that Aontú believes the Government is “wrong in terms of its power grab in the Dáil” but that the party also believes the Opposition’s behaviour in the Dáil last week was an “absolute disgrace”. 

“We have people who speak on a daily basis about dignity at work and misogyny, who were shouting at the top of their voices in unison to stop the first female Ceann Comhairle operating within the Dáil, which is absolutely wrong,” Tóibín said. 

Asked if the party have confidence in the Ceann Comhairle, Tóibín said: “We believe that the Ceann Comhairle should not be shown the door at this moment in time.”

Tóibín and Deputy Paul Lawless were then asked why they were condemning the behaviour of the other Opposition parties this week when last week Lawless stood alongside them on the Leinster House Plinth after the Dáil had been suspended on Tuesday.

During that press conference, those in attendance were asked to raise their hand if they had confidence in the Ceann Comhairle. None of them did, including Lawless. 

Raise your hand if you have confidence in the Ceann Comhairle

Here is the response from the leaders of the opposition @IrishMirror pic.twitter.com/1aSxAEHEMK

— Louise Burne (@louiseburne_) March 25, 2025

“I stood here in solidarity with the Opposition, in the sense that what the Government were doing was completely wrong around this new speaking arrangement,” Lawless said today. 

He added: “But equally, we feel that there’s a scalp here in relation to the Ceann Comhairle and we want to get down to business.” 

When a journalist then asked if Lawless “joined the line up last week before checking with Peadar Tóibín”, Lawless responded: “Yeah, I did to be quite honest with you.”

He then said he did not get an opportunity to articulate Aontú’s perspective during last week’s press conference but would have been quite happy to. 

When Tóibín was then asked if it is his position that Deputy Lawless should not have gone to last week’s press conference, Tóibín responded: 

“No, no and I smiled when you asked that question because all of the decisions we make we make collectively.”

Aontú’s response when asked why TD Paul Lawless stood side-by-side with the Opposition on the plinth last week but is condemning their behaviour this week.

Lawless admitted he didn’t ask party leader Peadar Toibin before attending that press conference. https://t.co/Voqees3RY5 pic.twitter.com/7WFOuVD6jI

— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) April 1, 2025

“There’s no splits within Aontú, I can tell you that,” Tóibín added.

After today’s press conference, Peadar Tóibín contacted The Journal to clarify that Lawless did check with him before attending last week and that both of them had understood the question posed today differently. 

Tóibín said he asked Lawless to attend last week.