Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have a very strong Executive. It is not just the Opposition’s role to hold the Government to account but also that of Government backbenchers. The culture that has developed is a consequence of it being all stick. If a Government backbencher votes against the Government, not only is he or she excluded from his or her political party, there are consequences for his or her access to funding and resources. That to me is not in keeping with the Constitution. The Oireachtas has a much stronger role in the Constitution, but the way we have organised resources, Standing Orders, etc, is not in keeping with this. That is the point we have to keep to the fore. This should not be about the five individuals who have lost the Whip, rather it should be about the principle at stake. Deputy Stephen Donnelly and I argued about this two years ago on the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill and it was rejected at the time by some of the very Members who are now arguing for it. It is only when a Member experiences this that its full import is understood. I support the amendment.