Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Coming into the Chamber today I was offered access to one committee and none of my party colleagues is being accommodated at all. This is a travesty of the democratic process. It is fuelled by the confusing information that is issued from the Chief Whip's office and by him, directly, to each of the other party representatives — and we are represented at Whips' meetings. This cannot proceed in this form.

As my party's sole Deputy ten years ago, I had access to serve on a committee. Over the duration of the last Dáil we each had this opportunity, and our record of attendance and participation is absolutely second to none. We are here to play our part in the democratic process in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I appeal to the Taoiseach and the Chief Whip at this point and to each of the other Opposition party leaders to recognise there is a responsibility on everyone to ensure fairness and respect for the mandate that has sent us to Leinster House so that we are accommodated in access to the committees and preferably to those of choice, as indicated by us to both Government and Opposition. We have not been accommodated and I cannot agree to support the motion on the Order Paper now before the House.

I ask the Taoiseach to respond to the points I have made. It strikes me as ridiculous that a Member of this House and a party leader has to stand up and make an appeal for fair access to the committee system, one which we are trying to promote as an effective and efficient tool of engagement within the Houses of the Oireachtas. It can be no such thing if it is to go forward on the basis of what is being proposed and suggested to me by the various voices, both from Government and Opposition, to whom I have repeatedly spoken over several weeks. Every effort has been made on our part to ensure agreement through engagement. Once again it appears that the numerically smaller voices just do not count where the bigger players are concerned. That is not the case. We have an entitlement, as of right, and I want this affirmed this afternoon before we proceed. If access for my party colleagues and I cannot be assured we certainly will oppose this motion and will use every opportunity to continue to highlight this absolutely undemocratic and unjust approach on the part of the major parties in the House. I say shame on each and every one of them that we are in this position today as regards this motion. I should have much preferred to have been able to say there was no problem and we looked forward to participating, as we have demonstrated year on year over the past decade.

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