We’re in “totally unprecedented territory” in the Dáil at the moment, Seán Defoe has claimed.
As chaos in the Dáil continues, the Ceann Comhairle has categorically rejected the “totally unfounded” allegations regarding her role in the speaking rights controversy.
She has stated that she fully intends to remain in her position.
A vote of no confidence is expected to take place next Tuesday, more than likely followed by a counter vote of confidence from the Government’s side.
On Newstalk Breakfast, political correspondent Seán Defoe said we are in “totally unprecedented territory” with the current Dáil chaos.
“We're in totally unprecedented territory here, first in the scenes that we saw in the Dáil on Tuesday and now into this motion,” he said.
“So last night, Verona Murphy released a statement - she had been utterly silent in the Dáil, just taking the hits and proceeding with business, and came out with a written statement through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
“[In the statement she was] citing the various parts of the pledge she made when she became Ceann Comhairle: to be impartial, to be that person in the middle and not come down on any one side.
“She said she doesn't have the luxury of descending into the debate of the Dáil in order to defend herself and strongly rejected that there was any bias, any collusion, with the Government to get the proceedings done.”
View this post on Instagram
Seán said Verona Murphy’s statement was accompanied by a five page report from the Clerk of the Dáil, Peter Finnegan, “outlining how she stuck to all the rules, essentially”.
“Now, that is going to be challenged by the opposition, particularly one part in relation to the order of business, which is when the Dáil agrees its schedule, essentially, for the week - there's a division and a vote on this every single week,” she said.
“What happens is, the Ceann puts it, the Government says, ‘Yes, we agree’, the opposition says ‘No’, and that someone calls for a vote, and when there is a call on the floor of the Dáil for a vote, there has to be one.
“Peter Finnegan says he didn't hear one - I was in the chamber, I clearly heard it, you can hear it on the tape - and the opposition is now getting legal advice on that ahead of the vote.”
Pic shows Verona Murphy and Michael Lowry after being elected for new Ceann Comhairle. 18-12-24 Pic Maxwell’sSeán said there are claims that the Dáil has been “semi-feral” over the past few days.
“I think there's a lot of people who were watching who will say that's pretty accurate,” he said.
“Certainly the accusations of misogyny have been utterly rejected by the opposition, but I think a lot of fair people watching in will say there was an element of bullying going on, both of the Taoiseach and of the Ceann Comhairle.
“There's a certain amount of ‘suck up that and take it’, particularly if you're the Taoiseach, but it did take a different direction when it came to the Ceann Comhairle.
“What Peter Finnegan is saying is she was perfectly within her rights.”
View this post on Instagram
Seán clarified that something like this vote of no confidence has never happened before.
“Look, this has never happened - we have never got a motion of no confidence in the Ceann Comhairle to the floor of the Dáil.
“One was threatened in 2009 against John O'Donoghue [but] he went before that actually got to the floor of the Dáil in the row over his expenses.
“She is digging her heels in there, and the Government is absolutely going to back her.
“They think the opposition are the ones completely out of line here.”
Verona Murphy. Photograph: Oireachtas Press Office via RollingNews.ie
