Opposition to challenge Ceann Comhairle’s view on Dáil technical group membership

Gráinne Ní Aodha and David Young

A row is brewing between opposition parties and the group of Independents supporting the Government over whether Independents who are not given ministerial roles can get speaking time in the Dáil during opposition slots.

The Regional Group of Independents are to get four junior ministerial roles, while Michael Healy-Rae is also in line to become a minister of state.

Opposition parties have criticised a move by the remaining four Independents to form a technical group that would give them speaking time in the Dáil.

In an unusual show of cross-party co-operation, Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and technical groups have agreed to prepare a joint document, which will be presented to the Dáil’s Business Committee on Tuesday. The Committee’s membership is drawn from whips of all the parties and groups represented in the Dáil.

The Labour Party has prepared a draft submission to the Ceann Comhairle that contradicts the claim that the Independents can form a technical group which would “eat into Dáil time that is allocated to the opposition”.

In a statement, a spokesman for Sinn Fein called on the Ceann Comhairle to publish the legal advice received last week.

“In order for the Ceann Comhairle to be satisfied that the three Regional Independent TDs should be permitted to form a technical group, she would need to be satisfied that they are “members in opposition”,” the statement added.

“It is difficult to see how such a conclusion could be reached on any rational basis given that the group participated in government formation talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, reached an agreement with those parties on the text of the Programme for Government, members of that group are to become Junior Ministers in that Government including some who will sit at Cabinet and the lead negotiator on behalf of the Regional Independent Group who now wishes to be recognised as a “member in opposition” has made a public statement to the effect that the group would ‘support the next government on the good days and the bad days’.”

Sinn Féin has also criticised Aont leader Peadar Tóibín for agreeing that his party’s two TDs join the technical group of Independents, as it needs a minimum of five TDs to be recognised.

“The disgraceful proposition of the group of so-called Independents, who authored and negotiated this programme for government, then sitting on the opposition benches is a charade that could not happen were it not for the support of Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín,” said Sinn Féin TD for Meath West, Johnny Guirke.

Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said: “It is outrageous that regional, Independent TDs, who negotiated a programme for government and intend to wholeheartedly support the incoming administration, are attempting to hijack Opposition speaking time in the Dáil.

“This farce could come to an immediate end if Aontú, whose two TDs are in the regional independent group, left that grouping.

“This would bring the number of TDs in that group below the threshold of five TDs, which secures Dail speaking rights.”

In a statement, Mr Tóibín defended the move.

“Currently, if you are not in a Technical Group, you have little or no speaking rights,” he said.

“You have to beg, borrow, and steal one minute here and two minutes there to speak. You have no Leaders’ Questions.

“You have to enter a lottery to question a minister. You have no committee membership in order to hold ministers to account.

“Sinn Féin should remember this well, as they were in a similar situation when Caoimhghin P Caolain was their Dail leader. Unfortunately, they seem to have lost their Standing Order reform zeal since those days.

“Aontú has always called for the Standing Orders of the Dáil to be reformed to allow for each TD to be able to speak in the Dáil on an equal basis. This should be the democratic basis of any parliament, and it would prevent the current difficulties.”