TDs react angrily over changed Dáil agenda

OPPOSITION TDS have reacted furiously to the Government’s proposals to change next week’s Dáil business when the House will have no order of business, question time, adjournment debates or votes.

There were repeated interventions, jeering and trading of insults yesterday and at one point the Dáil had to be adjourned for 15 minutes. Three votes were taken and a Fine Gael TD was suspended for being disorderly during the order of business, at which the programme for the day is set.

The Opposition continuously objected to the Government’s plans for business next week, which will focus on legislation. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said: “It’s a veneer, it’s a charade and it’s a whitewash and I will not stand for it.”

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore claimed it was unconstitutional and a “muzzling of parliament”. But Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk insisted “the Government proposes and the House disposes”.

Mr Gilmore said: “Let’s call this what it is, namely, a pretence that the Dáil will be doing normal business next week. The reason for this is that Ministers are going on holidays next week.”

Michael Ring (FG, Mayo) who took a High Court case to challenge the end of the dual mandate where Oireachtas members also served on local authorities, said the Government had told the High Court the dual mandate couldn’t operate “because you were going to sit Monday to Friday and now you can’t even sit on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday”.

As the day’s proceedings began the Ceann Comhairle welcomed DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley and his wife Baroness Eileen Paisley, on their first visit to Leinster House. The couple received a round of applause from TDs and several stood in applause. All parties welcomed them to the House.

Sinn Féin leader Caoimghín Ó Caoláin suggested that having witnessed the exchanges in the Dáil that the thought may have crossed Dr Paisley’s mind: “Why have I missed such craic down here in the past? I would have no objection if he went back and said, ‘the craic down there is mighty, we should look at it again’.”

Condemning the Government, Mr Kenny said they “expect us to agree an order of business which requires us to come in here next week and do or say nothing and ask no questions of an absent Government, absent Greens”.

At one point when he refused to sit down the Ceann Comhairle adjourned the House.

Later, he suspended Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan for disorderly conduct.

Mr Gilmore said the Government originally planned not to sit this week with the intention of holding the three byelections “in conjunction with the referendum on the rights of children. If Minister Gormley had got his act together by now in respect of the Lord Mayor of Dublin we might have had that election too”.

He added that the ordering of business next week “is arrogant. It shows a Government that is out of touch and that is abusing its majority in the House”.

When Mr Gilmore claimed that the move was unconstitutional the Ceann Comhairle told him he could not rule on constitutional issues.

Sinn Féin leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin challenged Government Ministers to attend on the floor of the Dáil next Tuesday, if as claimed there was to be a Cabinet meeting, everyone would see how many would actually be in attendance.

When called to respond, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan merely said “Molaim an rún” (I support the motion).

There were a series of votes with the Government majority rising from six to 10 by the third vote. The Dáil returns on Wednesday at 2.30pm.