Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I listened to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, speak. He said that you cannot disrupt procedures and then talk about the value of order and procedure. I can speak to the value of order because in the five years I have been in this House, I have never disrupted anyone. I have never spoken over anyone and have never raised my voice. Even while listening to non-answers to questions I ask, I do not disrupt. I would usually be the last person to stand up to speak on a motion of no confidence, as we see it, but I do so because, as a Member of this House, I am concerned in relation to the impartiality of the Ceann Comhairle. I listened to the Chief Whip, Deputy Butler, talk about this motion being about the Opposition not getting its way. Similar to the eight minutes argument, that completely misses the point. It is not about one or the other getting their own way; it is about basic procedures and rules that have always been the bedrock of the running of this House.

There are three key issues which have been repeatedly raised and which have not been answered by anyone on the Government benches. Every week, a vote is called on the Order of Business. One was called last week. "Vótáil" was clearly called, as it always is. Why was a vote not taken? What was the rush? Questions on Policy or Legislation were dropped out of nowhere. Why? The substantive motion to change Standing Orders was not voted on. Why? What was the rush? It was not the Ceann Comhairle's role to rush business to get to the vote on the motion. That is not the role of the Ceann Comhairle, and it should never be. I then heard Deputy Currie speak about the Opposition who had confidence in the Ceann Comhairle when she ruled that the Lowry group could not be in opposition as a technical group. Where is this group? They have a speaking slot now secured alongside Opposition leaders, joined with Government backbenchers in one group. In the eyes of the Lowry group, they are with a group of Government, but they are not Government, but they are Government and they are in a slot with Government. A dangerous precedent has been set that you can run for election, be the chief negotiator in government formation talks, gets jobs in terms of the Ceann Comhairle and Ministers and then choose to sit here or there, be in government or in opposition or in both. That is a dangerous precedent.

I would like to think that lessons will be learnt, not least that the role of Ceann Comhairle should not be a bargaining chip when it comes to government formation talks. The role of Ceann Comhairle should not be on the table when it comes to such talks. Unfortunately, the Government still seems to see absolutely nothing wrong with that. Therein lies part of the problem and part of the reason we are here today.

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