As the Dáil speaking rights row rears its head again, a private committee meeting today hopes to settle the matter once and for all.
The Government wants to create a new group of TDs who have said they will support the Government in all votes - but do not actually want to be part of the Government.
Instead, they want to have speaking slots and be able to question the Taoiseach twice a week.
The opposition has said these TDs are diluting opposition time with friendly questions, which means less accountability for the Taoiseach.
TD for People Before Profit Richard Boyd Barrett told Newstalk Breakfast the Government made a commitment not to push through a deal unless it was acceptable to both the Government and the opposition.
“It now looks as if they’re planning to renege on that in the interests of giving the group represented by Michael Lowry and involving the Healy-Raes a new special designation,” he said.
“Even though those groups are part of the Government, Ministers in the Government, negotiated the programme for Government, have pledged to be part of the Government, they also want to take up opposition speaking time.
“It’s really pretty outrageous, and it seems to be part of a very unprecedented move to appease Michael Lowry’s demands or his group’s demands.”
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Independent TD and Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture Michael Healy Rae said that this is giving “a completely wrong impression of what is happening”.
“Full engagement has been carried out on this issue; the opposition want nobody to talk other than themselves,” he said.
“[Deputy Boyd Barrett] is talking about Michael Lowry’s group; there are actually 53 TDs out of 174 who are barred from asking questions at present.
“The proposal that’s there now will not take one second of opposition speaking time, and I want the public in Ireland to know this.
“Opposition are giving the impression that this is TDs taking time from them, it is not, it is creating extra time.”
'The Ministers hog all the time'
Deputy Boyd Barrett disagreed with this assessment.
“The Dáil has about 28 hours of speaking time every week, and only four hours of that time is given to opposition for private member’s time,” he said.
“So, the Government controls all of the rest of the Dáil’s schedule; they decide the Dáil schedule every week, they get the majority of time in debates.
“For example, on standard debates that have happened this week on disability or will happen on Ukraine, the Government get 75 minutes of the debate time and the opposition gets 65.
“The Government has a majority on all committees as well, by the way, the Government can share that time among their backbench TDs but they choose not to because the Ministers hog all the time.”
Michael Healy-Rae TD raises a fist in triumph, after his position was confirmed in today's meeting of the Cabinet. Photo: Justin Farrelly / © RollingNews.ie. 29/01/2025Minister Healy Rae said these backbench TDs are not recognised under a Standing Order.
“So, they can’t speak,” he said.
“The proposal that’s going out is simply to allot more time to these debates for those members and those 54 people.
“They’re as entitled to stand up inside in the Dáil, whether it’s Danny Healy Rae or anyone else.
“They got elected by the people and they’re entitled to speak.”
Deputy Boyd Barrett reiterated that the Government has “plenty of time for backbenchers”.
Listen back here:
Listen back here: The first day for the 34th Dail. Photograph: RollingNews.ie via Oireachtas Press Office. 18/12/2024
