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

To the programme for Government, it is. They are disproportionately more conservative than the average person in society. Does the Taoiseach think that it is appropriate for this group of 20,000 people to decide who will be the next Taoiseach to implement the programme for Government? Does he not think it is repugnant to the notion of democracy that it is those 20,000 people, and, disproportionately within them, the parliamentary party, who will get to decide, as opposed to the people? The Government was formed in an attempt to thwart the wish of people for change as expressed in the February 2020 general election. That is why Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael came together in a formal coalition for the first time ever. Does the Taoiseach not accept that, on the grounds of democracy alone, it is time for the people to decide whether they want to continue with rule by landlord and for landlord or to vote for an alternative?

See this speech in context