A REPEAT of last month’s Dail chaos has been avoided after Michael Lowry conceded defeat in his bid to act as opposition while also backing the government.
Leaders from the real opposition parties were today celebrating after a ruling from Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy pushed Lowry and three other Independent TDs into the Government back benches.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government have been forced into a ‘very significant climbdown’[/caption]
The election of Micheal Martin as Taoiseach was delayed by one day last month following a Dail rebellion from Sinn Fein, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Independent Ireland.
These parties were furious at an attempt by Micheal Lowry and three other Independent TDs to bag extra speaking time in the Dail by pretending to be opposition while still backing the Government.
A repeat of the shambolic shouting matches between TDs had been expected when Dail returned today after two weeks of negotiations failed to agree a path forward.
However, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has ended the row with an 11th hour ruling that declares Lowry and the three other TDs can not form part of an opposition grouping to speak in the Dail.
The Ceann Comairle highlighted comments from Lowry and the other TDs about backing the Government through thick and thin and claimed this means they can not act as opposition in the Dail.
The ruling is a strong move from Verona Murphy who credits Micheal Lowry with helping her to secure the coveted role of Ceann Comhairle.
Tipperary TD Lowry today conceded defeat in the long running row as he said it is “time now to get on with the work.”
He said: “The Ceann Comhairle has made a ruling. We accept the ruling.
“I think what the ruling does is highlight the urgent necessity for Dail reform.
“We now have a situation where four independent members are being specifically named who are supportive of government and obviously their needs have to be accommodated.
“The Government are going to have to review this decision.”
He said the Dail Reform Committee must come up with proposals to enable independents who support governments in the future to get speaking time.
However, Labour’s Alan Kelly claimed that these comments are only an attempt to “save face” from Lowry and Co as he hailed the Ceann Comhairle decision as a win for opposition parties.
He said: “It’s a big day for this Dail.
“It is a big day for this Government because it has been an absolute disaster for them the way in which they’ve commenced.
“I’m delighted that this farce has come to an end.
“The farce is over. The show is over as regards to this issue.”
Deputy Kelly said Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Danny Healy Rae must now move to the Government benches and speak in Government time in the same way backbench Green Party TDs did in the last coalition.
Deputy Kelly added: “This was a stroke too far. Micheal Martin got this so, so, so wrong and there was an arrogance in that.”
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government have been forced into a “very significant climbdown” after weeks of defending the attempt by TDs to play both sides of the House.
Tipperary TD Michael Lowry admits defeat[/caption]
