A bid by Independent TDs supporting the incoming government to sit on the Opposition benches to secure Dáil speaking rights has been criticised by other Opposition TDs.
Tipperary North Independent TD Michael Lowry has argued that he and other government-supporting Independents who will not get ministerial roles should be able to be part of a new Dáil “technical group”.
This would allow them speaking rights, including opportunities to raise issues with the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions, something not available to Government backbench TDs.
The move prompted a backlash from Opposition parties at a meeting of the Dáil Business Committee on Thursday.
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Sinn Féin TD Pádraig MacLochlainn said afterwards the proposal is “not acceptable” and “you can’t have your cake and eat it”.
The Regional Independent Group (RIG) was formed as a Dáil technical group after the election and most – but not all – of its members were involved in the Government formation process and have agreed to support the incoming Coalition along with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Under the proposals put forward by Mr Lowry, the other Independents who would be part of a new technical group are Meath East TD Gillian Toole, Dublin Bay North TD Barry Heneghan and Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae.
Independent Offaly TD Carol Nolan and the two TDs from Aontú would also be part of the technical group
Members of the RIG who are due to become junior ministers in the incoming Government – Noel Grealish, Seán Canney, Marian Harkin and Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran – would not be in the proposed technical group.
Such groups cannot include ministers under standing orders from the last Dáil.
The standing orders also state that such groups are “a body of members in Opposition”.
Mr MacLochlainn referred to the standing orders and questioned how they could be interpreted to allow Government TDs to be part of technical groups.
He said Opposition parties cannot accept any suggestion that Government TDs “could come across and also take speaking time from the Opposition when we are already squeezed as it is”, saying he will “fight this all the way”.
Speaking to The Irish Times Mr Lowry argued that the departure of the soon-to-be ministers from the existing technical group means “we’re in compliance with the rules” adding: “under standing orders we’re [independent TDs] entitled to have the same access and privileges as we had in the last Dáil.
Put to him that those supporting the Government are not Opposition members as outlined in the standing orders, he said: “The bottom line is we’re acting as Independents and we can exercise the mandate that we have as an Independent.”
He said that even if members of the group supported the Government, “we’re still independent”.
Mr Lowry said he had already supported “the last five or six governments from the opposition benches. There’s nothing different about it.”
A decision on whether or not Mr Lowry and other Government-supporting independents are permitted to sit on the Opposition benches for the purposes of speaking rights will not happen until after the Government is officially formed next week.
Mr MacLochlainn suggested that Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy – who was previously a member of the RIG – could be the decision maker but that the matter may also be referred to the Dáil Reform Committee.
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