The Daily Star Ireland
The ongoing dispute over speaking rights in the Dáil remains unresolved, with Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane emphasizing that opposition members cannot compromise on the issue. His comments come as Government TDs prepare to push forward a proposal at Tuesday’s Dáil reform committee that would allow the Regional Independent technical group to function as a “hybrid” group with a presence in both Government and Opposition.
Opposition TDs have strongly opposed this plan, warning that they may take action to disrupt Dáil proceedings on Wednesday if the proposal is implemented. Cullinane criticized the Government’s approach, describing it as “grubby deal and stroke politics.”
During an appearance on RTÉ’s Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Cullinane accused the Coalition of blurring the lines between Government and Opposition. He argued that Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris are unwilling to tell Independent TD Michael Lowry that a Government-aligned TD should not receive opposition speaking rights. Cullinane suggested the matter could be quickly resolved if Martin and Harris were willing to take a firm stance.
He questioned the Government’s reluctance, asking, “What hold does Michael Lowry have over this Government?”
Minister of State Emer Higgins, speaking on the same program, defended the Coalition’s approach, stating that the goal is to find a “politically acceptable” compromise. She insisted that the Government’s plan ensures that granting speaking rights to Lowry’s group would not reduce the time allocated to opposition parties.
“The issue has been fixed,” she said, adding that ensuring every TD has the opportunity to speak is essential for the proper functioning of the Dáil.
When asked whether Lowry is considered a Government TD, Higgins replied, “We view him as an Independent,” and clarified that speaking rights were not part of any negotiations related to the Programme for Government.
Meanwhile, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy argued that the four meetings of the Dáil Reform Committee had been unproductive, claiming that Lowry is determined to “have his cake and eat it.” He criticized the proposal to classify the Regional Independent technical group as “non-aligned,” calling it a “stroke” designed to weaken the Opposition’s ability to hold the Government accountable.
Murphy insisted that his party “cannot go along with a lie” by accepting a designation that gives Government-aligned TDs opposition speaking rights.
“It’s not true that Michael Lowry is non-aligned; he is a Government TD,” he said.
When asked how the Opposition would respond if the Government used its Dáil majority to pass the proposal, Murphy warned, “We will not accept that.”
Yesterday, the leaders of several opposition parties, including Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, acting Social Democrats leader Cian O’Callaghan, Independent Ireland’s Michael Collins, Labour’s Ivana Bacik, and Solidarity-People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett, sent a letter to the Taoiseach outlining their objections.
In the letter, they rejected the proposal to designate the Regional Independents as an “informal technical grouping of unaligned members/hybrid group,” arguing that it was a transparent attempt to provide them with additional speaking privileges.
“The Regional Independents are aligned with the Government, having negotiated a political deal with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to facilitate, among other things, your election as Taoiseach,” the letter stated.
The opposition leaders vowed to defend the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government.
They also accused the Government of manipulating speaking time rules to benefit the Regional Independents and called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposal.
“The Government must swiftly reconsider its stance and uphold a rules-based approach that respects parliamentary democracy, the clear distinction between Government and Opposition, and the mandates of deputies who serve in either role,” the letter concluded.
