Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is not agreed. I repeat the point made earlier that everyone should see it as in his or her own interests that the Standing Orders are not misinterpreted. I say that with all due respect to those who are interpreting them. It is not very clear at all, according to what the Ceann Comhairle is telling us, that Standing Order 77(2) still does not stand. It states:

Where such an Article 35.4.1° 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 to take [it] ...

In all the time it has taken us to discuss this, it would have taken five minutes to take the motion on the Order Paper. It is a constitutional right of any Independent Deputy who is not part of a group, or, indeed, any Government backbencher, to put such a motion on the agenda. That constitutional right is being denied them by this specific interpretation of Standing Orders. That is why we are objecting to the Order of Business. I reiterate what I said earlier, which the Ceann Comhairle did not hear. Contradictory advice was given to us by various different elements of the OPLA. There was contradictory advice and when I questioned it, I was told that doctors differ and patients die.

What is all that about? We are interpreting Standing Orders as they are written while the Ceann Comhairle's office is interpreting them in a way that blocks the constitutional individual rights of Deputies elected to do their job.

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