What is the Dáil speaking rights row, and why is the Ceann Comhairle under pressure?
James Cox
The 34th Dáil has been hampered by the speaking rights row from its start in January, and the dispute is showing no signs of letting up.
Here's everything you need to know about the speaking rights row.
What started the speaking rights row?
The long-running speaking row is over Government's attempts to secure speaking time for Regional Independent TDs, led by Michael Lowry, who support the Coalition.
Opposition parties are united in their condemnation of this.
The General Election saw Fianna Fáil with 48 seats, Sinn Féin with 39 and Fine Gael with 38 seats. A Government needs 88 seats for a majority, so Fianna Fail and Fine Gael needed the support of a small number of independent TDs.
The TDs in question came from two cohorts - a group of regional independents, led by Tipperary's Michael Lowry, and Kerry independent TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rea.
Under a deal agreed after the General Election, the Regional Independent Group vote with the Government in the Dáil. The Healy-Rae brothers also agreed to vote with the Government.
Four TDs from this group of independents were appointed junior ministers, while Wexford’s Verona Murphy was appointed Ceann Comhairle.
Michael Lowry, Danny Healy-Rae, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole, the four independents from the Group who were not named junior ministers, then announced they would form a technical group for speaking time.
Speaking time in the Dáil is allocated based on party or group size: Independent TDs on their own may not get any regular speaking slots, but by forming a technical group, they can pool their numbers to qualify for scheduled speaking time, including during high-profile weekly debates such as Leader’s Questions.
However, such technical groups have traditionally comprised opposition TDs.
This is the root of the speaking rights row as opposition politicians claim they are attempting to take opposition speaking time while also supporting the Government.
Opposition disrupted the election of Micheál Martin at Taoiseach over the row in January, and it continues to delay the formation of Dáil committees and other business.
Attempts to resolve the row
The Government used its majority on the Dáil Reform Committee to push through proposals to change Dáil rules to allow speaking time for the TDs, which they say would be separate to Opposition speaking time.
In response, the Opposition has withdrawn the Dáil 'pairing' arrangement. The arrangement saw TDs agree not to participate in Dáil votes to allow for a Minister or Government TD’s absence.
Last week, Opposition parties outlined plans to enter an amendment to the Government’s motion to change Dáil rules, which the Sinn Féin leader said will “solve” the row over speaking rights.
Mary Lou McDonald vowed that opposition parties will “face the Government down” on the deepening row
Where do things stand?
The Government’s majority meant it was able to push through significant changes to speaking rules in the Dáil on Wednesday, even without the usual opposition teller agreeing to sign off on the results of the vote.
The announcement that the changes had passed caused such a level of objection from the opposition that the Ceann Comhairle adjourned all further proceedings until Wednesday morning.
The real story was the Dáil once again erupting into chaos, as it did when the Taoiseach's nomination was blocked in January.
Many of the Opposition stood up and shouted, with Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy accusing them of "misogyny" and "making a holy show of yourselves".
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy took out his phone to film the unrest, and Michael Lowry made a two-finger gesture at him which Opposition TDs have claimed showed a lack of respect to the Irish public.
The gesture, which happened following hours of chaos, shouting and heckling in the Dáil, has been widely condemned.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin called on Mr Lowry to apologise for the incident, but also criticised Mr Murphy, accusing him of “waving his camera” in the faces of other TDs.
Mr Lowry, who was a key negotiator for a group of independents who agreed to support the formation of the Government, was previously found by a tribunal to have behaved in a way that was “profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking”.
In a statement, Mr Lowry said on Wednesday: “The gesture I made in the Dáil yesterday was not made with malicious intent.
“I made an errant gesture under provocation.
“Unfortunately, the gesture has been taken out of context. Unlike others, I have always respected the rules and values of the Dail.
“My gesture was not intended to be offensive or to cause any offence, and I regret that it may have been seen in such a way.”
The Government is proposing that the four TDs from the originally proposed Regional Independents technical group would be considered ‘others.’
This essentially means they would not be considered part of the Government or Opposition.
They would get speaking time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, along with Government backbenchers.
Opposition parties say this is "blurring the lines" by Government.
It would also mean written questions to be answered by the Taoiseach on Wednesdays would no longer take place.
What does the public think?
Mr Martin previously claimed the public "aren't excited" about the speaking rights row.
However, messages to the Taoiseach, seen by BreakingNews.ie following a Freedom of Information request, show the public are very angry about the issue.
One person wrote: "I think it's utterly farcical that TDs who support the Government are attempting to speak on Opposition time.
"I fully support attempts to disrupt proceedings today as this cannot stand."
A message on the morning of January 23rd read: "Micheál, is this the start of a dictatorship? You're deliberately taking away the democratic rights of the Opposition by cutting down their speaking time. The Independents who helped you form government have no place on the opposition benches taking time away from your actual opposition.
"This is an affront to Irish democracy. The painting of the opposition parties (Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats etc) as the bad guys in this scenario is a deliberate projection on your part to avoid accountability for your shady dealings."
Why is Verona Murphy under pressure?
The Opposition have accused Ms Murphy of not being impartial enough to fulfill the role of Ceann Comhairle.
The Opposition parties have drafted a no confidence motion in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy.
The Government has accused them of bullying behaviour towards Ms Murphy.
If a vote does go ahead, the Government will back Ms Murphy meaning it is virtually guaranteed she will survive the motion.
However, it does not bode well for a resolution of the speaking rights row.
Ms Murphy said she fully intends to continue as Ceann Comhairle.
The deputy has issued a lengthy statement tonight - in response to the draft of a no-confidence vote by the Opposition.
The Taoiseach has accused them of trying to create a precedent, where they can oust any Ceann Comhairle they don't agree with.
In the statement, Ms Murphy said: "Prolonged disorder and obstruction is utterly unacceptable in any democratic parliament. So too is making false accusations of partiality and collusion against its officials and Chair. By virtue of the independence of the office of Ceann Comhairle, I am in the unenviable position that I cannot descend at will into debate to defend myself against the entirely false allegations of collusion made against me in the Dáil today.
"I categorically reject these totally unfounded allegations. I have at all times followed the correct procedures of the House and the advice of the impartial officials present. The Clerk of Dáil Éireann has independently prepared a report on yesterday’s proceedings detailing the procedures followed. It has been laid before the Dáil and accordingly is a public document .
"I fully intend to continue to carry out the onerous office to which I was elected in accordance with the solemn undertakings I gave the Dáil upon my election.
"I call on every member of the House to reflect on and abide by their own constitutional obligations, to refrain from disorder, and to respect the rights and dignity of every other member and of the House itself."
