Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated 6.10pm
THE DÁIL HAS been adjourned until Tuesday after Mary Lou McDonald staged a sit-in lasting nearly four hours.
The Sinn Féin Deputy was suspended from the Dáil following a row at Leaders’ Questions today – but she refused to leave the chamber.
The stand-off between McDonald and Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett led to business being suspended indefinitely until Barrett, who refused to return to the chamber until McDonald left, adjourned the house until next Tuesday at 2pm.
McDonald and her Sinn Féin colleagues remained in the chamber for the entire 3 hours and 58 minutes while the Dáil was suspended.
An Oireachtas spokesperson confirmed that McDonald will be suspended from the Dáil until next Wednesday, 19 November.
Outside Leinster House after the sit-in, McDonald and party leader Gerry Adams expressed no confidence in Barrett but said they had not yet decided whether to table a motion of no confidence.
McDonald insisted the sit-in was “absolutely not” pre-planned in the wake of yesterday’s Dáil debate on abuse in the republican movement.
“It’s nothing of the sort,” she insisted.
The row developed in the Dáil chamber around lunchtime after McDonald refused to comply with a Dáil vote to suspend her and the Ceann Comhairle refused to return to the house until she left.
In a statement about his decision this afternoon, Barrett said the stand-off was “deeply regrettable, especially when important business is being dealt with by the Dáil”.
However, he said he had “no other option open” to him other than adjourning an hour early.
I cannot resume the business of the House until this sit-in is stopped. It must be clearly understood that it is not my decision that Deputy McDonald leave the House but it is a decision that was taken by the majority by way of vote.
If this action continues beyond 4.30pm and for the purpose of avoiding further reputational damage to the Institution, I will have no option but to formally adjourn the sitting until next Tuesday at 2pm. Finally, I wish to say that I regret very much having to take this route but there is no other option open to me.
On Facebook, McDonald gave no indication that she was prepared to leave the house, effectively staging a sit-in:
And her efforts were alluded to by Barrett in his statement. He confirmed that the Captain of the Guard’s attempts to remove the Deputy were “unsuccessful”.
A number of TDs sat with McDonald over the four hours and party leader Gerry Adams was spotted next to her at the very end at 4.30pm today.
The Ceann Comhairle has now confirmed that the Dáil will remain suspended until Tuesday.
After being suspended for over an hour this lunchtime Government TDs withdrew from the house just before 2pm and were followed by Fianna Fáil deputies but Sinn Féin remained in the chamber.
After government TDs withdrew, Tánaiste Joan Burton returned to collect her documents and got into a tense row with remaining Sinn Féin deputies.
After they criticised her for failing to answer questions, she claimed Sinn Féin had failed to answer questions raised during yesterday’s debate on abuse in the republican movement.
The row started during Leaders’ Questions when the Sinn Féin deputy leader was angered by what she believed was Burton’s failure to answer her questions about water charges, specifically whether unpaid bills could be deducted from wages or social welfare.
Having failed to resume her seat, the Ceann Comhairle ordered her to leave the chamber but McDonald refused and a vote was called.
Watch:
The government’s majority ensured that McDonald was voted out of the House but she then refused to leave the chamber resulting in the Dáil’s suspension.
Ministers believe McDonald has orchestrated the whole event:
In a statement, Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer said: ”As a member of Dáil Eireann, I take genuine offence that Sinn Féin would use our Parliament as a prop to deflect attention from the negative media coverage over Sinn Féin’s treatment of sexual abuse victims.”
Last month McDonald was suspended from the chamber after getting into a row with Barrett during the debate on the Budget announcement.
On that occasion she left the house without any protest.
With reporting from Sinéad O’Carroll
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
True heroes, we need their sort here in o Connell street urgently please.
@Lance Taylor: Holy Three Cups Challenge!
@Lance Taylor: brillant, I bet they never saw it coming !
@Lance Taylor: but our courts would probably rule against them under entrapment and allow them to be counter sued
What’s the difference between batman and a shoplifter..batman can go into a shop without Robin .
@larry smith: b’boom..tish!!
Keep em coming. Guys that were caught are huge on bridges in Paris.
@larry smith: Years ago when everything in stores was individually priced,you’d have robbers going in with a price gun “Hand over all the cash,or I’ll mark everything down in the shop”
@j m m: and Berlin , they operate in gangs of 6 or more
@Donough Tierney: Not all of them. 6 of one,half a dozen of the others
Hand me the lighter Rodney…im trying to see if there’s any petrol coming through to the engine!
@Dan The Man: your cramping my style , your cramping my style
Our lads dress as Panti Bliss and Bambie Thug
@Exhausted Jim: Weak. Even for a troll like you.
@Jack Hayes: no wonder he’s exhausted………
Rodney you plonker
@Joe Beirne: A certain episode of Only Fools And Horses does come to mind!
@Joe Beirne: His name’s Dave,Derek
@Larry Betts: if it’s a girl they’ll call her Sigourney after the actress Sigourney Weaver, and if it’s a boy they’ll call him Rodney, after Dave.
@Alex Marquis: only fools and horses an absolute classic, the chandelier or tea for three two very funny episodes.
@Joe Beirne: Where’d you get those 4 aces Delboy?
Both should be deported back to Romania
Some heroes wear capes.
KERCHOW!
@Mary Linton: tell us the one about the crematorium again.
@Philip Kennedy: Why? There’s no need to dig up the past. Forgive me for my grave sense of humour
Names sound like good old Roma gypsy trash Ireland is also now full of those total S. C. U. M
@Deadman Walking: betting with gypsies on a shell game . Good luck with that . Olympic standard stupidity .
They went across the bridge to seek their arch enemies
Only 2!
Last time I crossed Westminister bridge I seen at leat 10 groups of minimum 6 apiece, can’t see this making any difference tbh
That is awesome!
Bring on the scammers’ solicitors who will hopefully point out this wicked form of entrapment that the defendants are being subjected to. Have the police no sense of shame?
hand me down the shark-repellent bat spray
This all sounds like a carry on movie spoof
Del! (Punches fist) let’s go!
Are people still falling for the 3-cups scam?
Brilliant
I suppose it’s better than taking to the roller blades.
have your say