Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Boyd Barrett makes the point about having only six and a half minutes but I could equally refer to the perspective of others. The three parties that make up the Government have well over 80 Members in total. It seems to be the position of Deputy Boyd Barrett and some others in the House that backbenchers and Members from the larger parties should be shut up forever and never get an opportunity. That happened in the previous Dáil, unfortunately. They were marginalised, even though they are as entitled to be heard as the Deputy. It seems to be the view of groups of six, seven, eight or more that anybody who is a Member of a large party does not have the same right or entitlement to time in a debate. It is difficult to manage it all over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but that is the context. The degree to which many Deputies were denied opportunities to have their voices heard appropriately in the previous Dáil simply because they were members of larger parties was a bit of a joke. That was their strong point and campaigning position.

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