Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What I am interpreting, based on the Ceann Comhairle's guidance, is that the Government's advice to him left him with no option but to make the call that he made. That is the interpretation I take from that. Then no whip on the opposition side, and there are seven in total, or leader was communicated with directly, apart from Deputy Alan Kelly's conversation with the Taoiseach. There was no direct communication with us from the Government side to outline to us ideas about how we would deal with the schedule, whether we were convening tonight and so on. We had to rely on political correspondents who were clearly being briefed by Government sources while no whip in this House was being briefed. This is a very serious matter. The Government's advice left the Ceann Comhairle with no choice but to adjourn the business and I accept that, but in the interim, the Government was briefing political journalists about its plans. Not one whip got a phone call to be consulted about the reconfiguring of the schedule or to be advised of the Government's plans. That is what has happened here tonight.

See this speech in context