From leaving school at 16 to the Dáil's first female Ceann Comhairle - who is Verona Murphy?

THE 34TH DÁIL made history today by electing the first ever woman to the role of Ceann Comhairle in the Dáil’s 105 year history. 

That woman is Independent TD for Wexford Verona Murphy. 

Murphy has had anything but a traditional path into politics, having first built a career as a truck driver in her twenties after leaving school at 16.

Murphy has made international headlines today as a “maverick ex-trucker” turned Dáil Ceann Comhairle.

So who is Verona Murphy, the Ceann Comhairle of the 34th Dáil? 

Murphy was first elected to the Dáil in the 2020 general election and was re-elected in 2024. 

Her entry into national politics was marred by controversy.

Following Mick Wallace’s election to the European Parliament in 2019, Murphy stood as a Fine Gael candidate in the Dáil by-election.

During the campaign, Murphy received huge criticism for comments she made in a media interview about asylum seekers in which she suggested people seeking international protection in Ireland have to be “deprogrammed” as they may have been “infiltrated by Isis”. 

Further comments emerged in The Wexford People newspaper, in which Murphy claimed that Isis had “manipulated children as young as three or four”. 

Murphy apologised and said the comments were “a poor choice of words” and Fine Gael continued to back her.

Following the criticism, Murphy also visited a migrant reception centre and released a statement afterwards saying it had a “profound impact” on her understanding of the issues facing asylum seekers.

Murphy finished in third place to Fianna Fáil and Labour in the by-election and insisted that she would be the Fine Gael candidate in the 2020 general election. 

Initially, then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stood by Murphy, telling RTÉ’s Marian Finucane show that her apology at the time was “enough” for him to campaign with her afterwards.

However, he subsequently withdrew his party’s support ahead of the 2020 general election and said he had a “big problem” with a video released on Verona Murphy’s social media, which blamed the media for the controversy – Varadkar said that this suggested to him that her apology “maybe wasn’t sincere”.

Murphy was de-selected as a Fine Gael candidate but won a seat as an Independent.

Life before politics

Before entering politics, Murphy was involved in the road haulage business and was elected president of the Road Haulage Association in 2015. 

Born in the Ramsgrange area of New Ross in Wexford, Murphy grew up on a farm and was one of 11 children.

She left school at 16 and moved to the UK where she worked multiple jobs, including at the fastfood chain McDonald’s.

When she was 18 she returned to Ireland, buying her first truck and trailer at 21. A year later she became a single mother to her daughter Robyn.

She sat her Leaving Certificate at the age of 35 and also completed a law degree. 

Life as a TD

Murphy topped the poll in Wexford in last month’s general election and is seen as a no-nonsense operator in the Dáil, having built up a strong reputation as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

Murphy has not been one to shy away from controversy as a TD. 

So much so that Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne spoke out against his party’s support of Murphy in the last day. 

Byrne took issue with remarks made by Murphy – under Dáil privilege – earlier this year in which she claimed certain politicians were using fake online profiles to spread defamatory slurs and asked Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin about his party’s policy on the matter. 

Byrne called on Murphy to apologise to the individuals ahead of today’s vote for Ceann Comhairle.

An apology was not forthcoming and Murphy was elected as Ceann Comhairle this afternoon. 

Speaking to the House later this evening, Murphy said she takes on board the comments made about the need for someone in the Dáil to have proficient Irish, and said she hopes to improve her Gaeilge.

She said she will strive to be “fair and impartial” in her new role and hopes to be a “reforming” Ceann Comhairle like her predecessor.

How did she become Ceann Comhairle? 

Her election was secured via a gentleman’s agreement as part of government formation talks between the regional group of Independent TDs, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. 

The regional group of Independents is a technical group in the Dáil made up of 11 TDs with the aim of all TDs in the grouping having speaking time in the Dáil. 

Nine of the 11 TDs are also in government formation talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with Tipperary TD Michael Lowry the group’s de facto leader. 

In her maiden speech as Ceann Comhairle today, Murphy stated what was already assumed: Michael Lowry was the person who proposed she put herself forward for the job. 

The Ceann Comhairle is basically the chairperson of the Dáil and is responsible for keeping order during parliamentary sessions. There is a €255,000 salary attached to the role – a salary higher than even the Taoiseach’s.