Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

-----but the House's rules cannot overturn the Constitution itself] shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting other than the Chairman or presiding member." The Constitution is clear that a majority of Deputies are needed to pass a resolution of the House. A quarter of the Members of the House overruling three quarters would be an extraordinary proposition.

In amendment No. 8, Deputy Pringle proposes that a vote in favour of conducting an inquiry shall pass if no less than two thirds of the designated Opposition vote in favour. This is unconstitutional for the reasons that I have given. Even were this proposition constitutional, I would reject it. I have been longer on the Opposition benches than I have been on the Government benches in this House. There is almost a flavour emerging that, somehow, the Government side is inherently political and would act politically and the Opposition side does not act politically. I have served long years on both sides of the House. My experience is that the temptation to act politically is not the universal prerogative on either side.

In terms of what is right, we must respect the vote of the people and their democratic decisions.

Deputy Donnelly gave a dissertation on the role of the Whips. He is a new Independent. I entered politics because I was interested in a political party. Originally, I did not expect to be an elected Member, but I subscribe to the views of the party and we debate vigorously within it. We are not sole traders. I do not stand in the Chamber as a sole trader. I must argue my case within the confines of the parliamentary party first and, ultimately, within the confines of the conference of my party, which makes policy. The notion that we are all sole traders and that everyone can amble in here as he or she pleases is not how political parties work. It is not normally the way for Fianna Fáil. Except when the exigencies of the situation, shall we say kindly, require it to be otherwise, Fianna Fáil normally requires the consensus view within the party to prevail. If one is a member of any organisation, one can have a vigorous democratic debate, but once the majority decides, that decision becomes the organisation's policy. We are not sole traders. I understand that it is difficult for people outside the political party system to understand that. If the day comes when one cannot live with this situation, one walks away.

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