Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

It is not agreed. On the Order Paper for today is a very important motion which is fundamentally about accountability. It is a motion to begin the process of removing Seamus Woulfe from his position as a Supreme Court judge on the grounds of stated misbehaviour. The motion, which people can read, sets out the stated misbehaviour which, in a nutshell, comprises his attendance at the Oireachtas golf society dinner and his response to the crisis and scandal around that. In doing so, he undermined the public health advice.

We have discussed this with the Ceann Comhairle, with whom we have had a disagreement. In our opinion, the Standing Orders are very clear. Standing Order 77(2) states that "Where such ... [a] motion is put on the Order Paper for any day, the Dáil may either reject the said motion, or on a motion made to adjourn the debate may by motion appoint a Select Committee". Particularly when it is read together with Standing Order 77(3), where it provides that "Where the Dáil does not appoint a Select Committee in the manner provided ... within five sitting days ... [the] motion shall lapse", it is very clear that once such a motion is on the Order Paper, it must be taken. The Ceann Comhairle's position is that it does not have to be taken and can sit there and, presumably, it will lapse. We think it is a basic democratic right. We have a right to bring a motion to begin a process of impeachment. The Dáil has a right to reject or accept that motion. All we need is five minutes. I ask the House to reject the Order of Business and to provide five minutes so that we can take this motion.

See this speech in context