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OPPOSITION TDS HAVE expressed fury that Dáil committees have not been able to get up and running as a result of the row over speaking rights for the Regional Independents.
Without Dáil committees, legislation cannot be progressed and important scrutiny powers are not available to TDs.
The delay means Ireland’s parliament has not been functioning fully since November last year.
The Opposition has laid the blame for this firmly at the feet of the Government.
Later today the Dáil Reform Committee will meet again to consider proposed changes to the Dáil’s rules in a bid to put the speaking rights row to bed entirely.
As of right now, all the signs point to a further escalation, with neither side signalling they will back down.
What the Government has mooted is the creation of “Other Members’ Questions”, a new section of Dáil time that four members of the Regional Independents Technical group, who have openly said they will support the government, can use.
Speaking to The Journal, Sinn Féin’s chief whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said the Opposition has “ruled nothing out, including removing our cooperation with the formation of committees. This is very serious.”
Michael Lowry, who will not be in the meeting, told The Journal: “It’s very simple the government has put forward a proposal that we are supportive of and we need to await the outcome of that meeting.”
The allocation of Committee chairs in the Dáil is done on a proportional basis using the D’Hondt system. This is intended to give Opposition TDs more powerful roles in the
Dáil so the Government will not have the same control of the Committees.
However, as there is still no final decision on whether Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Danny Healy-Rae and Gillian Toole are considered members of the Opposition or of Government, the committees have not yet been able to resume.
Speaking to The Journal, Mac Lochlainn said: “The function of the parliament is in serious crisis because of the Government’s actions.
“The place is not functioning properly because of this absolute mess,” the Donegal TD added.
People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett told The Journal that getting the committees re-established is an urgent matter to be resolved, but he said the problem is a “direct consequence of the Government trying to pull a fast one”.
The Opposition fears that a vote will be called on the matter today and, because the Government TDs have a majority on the committee, they will be able to push ahead with the changes without the Opposition’s support.
In a letter to members of the Dáil Reform Committee yesterday evening, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy said she has been receiving feedback from other members of the House of the Oireachtas who are being “adversely affected” by the failure to resolve the speaking rights row.
In particular, she noted the impact it has had on getting committees in place.
“The people expect us to get down to business on their behalf,” she said.
The Ceann Comhairle said the sole focus of today’s meeting will be resolving the speaking rights issue.
Last month, opposition leaders protested the original decision that four of the Regional Independent TDs would speak from opposition time, despite negotiating the programme for government.
Following the pushback, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy then ruled that the Regional Independent TDs, most of whom support the government, would not be given opposition speaking rights.
This resolved the situation on a short-term basis, but it was agreed that the Dáil Reform Committee would meet three weeks later and consider submissions to amend the Dáil rules.
Last week, the five major Opposition parties completely rejected the ‘Other Members’ Questions’ proposal put forward by the Government.
They dubbed it “yet another cynical attempt to manipulate speaking time in order to grant special privileges to TDs who were part of negotiating the Programme for Government and clearly and unambiguously support the government”.
“We’ve gone backwards,” Mac Lochlainn said, arguing that what is being proposed is a “power grab” to diminish the Opposition’s power to hold the Government to account in the Dáil.
Mac Lochlainn said he is “very worried” about what has been proposed but that the Government has underestimated the Opposition’s resolve.
What on earth are they playing at here?
“Why do they keep trying to insert Michael Lowry into the Opposition when he is a Government TD?” he asked.
“I’m astonished by this, what has he got on the Government that they would go out on a limb for him so many times?” he added.
Yesterday in the Dáil, Taoiseach Micheál Martin lashed out at the Opposition and claimed that there was a “herd-like mentality” in relation to this issue.
He said he would not be “railroaded or browbeaten or intimidated” by the Opposition.
The Dáil reform committee will meet at 4.45pm today.
I think there is a new movement started in Clare called Independents together which encourages like minded people to have a voice in the running of our country. They are insistent that they are not a political party and nothing to do with Lucinda and co. I believe they have recruited candidates to run in the local elections,which is great , because people don’t know which way to vote now that they have seen the corruption of the last Gover. And the failure of this one to correct it.
What does new political movement actually mean to the person on the street I real terms… No property tax, no water charges, no a and e issues. Will we still have 166 tds on 100k a year plus expenses and advisors etc etc
A lot of these “new politicians” are also teachers with many of the taking a career break to do the honourable thing and return our country back to the people, we have had enough of teachers as they will upon getting elected receive their two pensions …..if they want to get elected resign from being a teacher before you want to be a politician that will endure you more to the people….
I think the word independent in independent td is being diluted
Great. If anyone needs any typesetting done, they know where to go. Do they advise on “photo air brushing ” etc.
Not sure if Donnelly will be involved.
He is already part of the technical group.
So do in this won’t change his impact.
Seems rather pointless TBH
Any vehicle that has Shane Ross and Pat Nulty in it is as attention seeking as it is utterly useless
the independent thought united vision doc is nice and vague, not sure the community orgs they mention are progressive
have your say