Irish Examiner view: Dáil speaking rights row is but a distraction

The speaking slots row may be unedifying and unnecessary, but right now it may be offering valuable cover to a few practitioners grateful for the distraction

Thu, 27 Feb, 2025 - 01:00

On and on it goes, the row in Leinster House about speaking slots. Dancing on the head of a procedural pin is surely of limited appeal to the general public, consumed as they are by a host of far more pressing concerns, such as housing and crime.

The 30-second version of the row is unlikely to get anyone’s blood boiling. The Government allocating high-profile speaking slots to Independent TDs supporting it on one hand, the opposition taking umbrage at that allocation on the other.

True, the opposition threat to withdraw the co-operation on which legislative work depends could complicate life for an administration which has hardly exploded from the starting blocks.

However, a couple of the leading personalities in the dispute may not be too unhappy if Dáil procedures continue to lead the news rather than some other recent missteps.

Mary Lou McDonald’s warm praise for the late Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane, who was part of an IRA group who in 1975 shot and blew up innocent people at the Bayardo Bar in Belfast, has led to plenty of justified criticism, for instance. Praising the man involved in those killings as “a great patriot” is not what anyone would expect from any prospective leader of this country.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has been having a rough couple of weeks himself. As recently as yesterday, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy asked him to stop behaving like a child, while last week he embroiled himself in an entirely different controversy when, as Gaeilge, he accused Mary Lou McDonald of telling lies.

The ceann comhairle herself must also be wishing the spotlight would move on from the Dáil chamber. The first day the house met, she appeared to lose control of proceedings, while her handling of the ‘ag insint bréaga’ controversy mentioned above was also underwhelming and highlighted her lack of Irish.

The speaking slots row may be unedifying and unnecessary, but right now it may be offering valuable cover to a few practitioners grateful for the distraction.

Trump aligns only with profit

A formal, signed agreement seems very close in the Ukraine conflict, but a real peace deal appears to be some distance off yet.

This week, we learned that Ukraine has agreed to the terms of a “preliminary” deal which would give the US access to its valuable deposits of rare earth minerals. Ukraine president Voldymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped that this initial agreement with the US would “lead to further deals”, while US president Donald Trump said the deal would enable American taxpayers to “get their money back” for the aid sent to Ukraine during the war as well as giving Kyiv “the right to fight on” against Russia.

Optimism about the deal bumped up against hard reality pretty fast. Zelenskyy had to confirm that no American security guarantees have been agreed as yet.

In addition, any commitment given by Trump to Ukraine needs to be evaluated in the light of America’s ongoing relationship with Russia — and its extraordinary behaviour at the UN in particular.

This week, the US opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow’s actions and supporting Ukraine’s
territorial integrity, while drafting a resolution at the UN
Security Council which called for an end to the conflict but contained no criticism of Russia. To put that in context, the BBC’s diplomatic editor pointed out that it was the first time since 1945 that the US voted with Russia and against Europe at the UN on an issue of European security.

A vagueness on details and reluctance to commit to a firm position will be familiar to many who had business dealings with the US president before he entered politics. While almost any glimpse of a pathway to peace in Ukraine is welcome, Trump’s true diplomatic focus was visible elsewhere this week. Speaking in the Oval Office, he floated the idea of replacing an exiting US visa programme aimed at foreign investors in the US with a different approach.

“We are going to be selling a gold card,” he said. “We are going to be putting a price on that card of about $5m. It’s going to give you green card privileges plus it’s going to be a route to [American] citizenship.”

What could be a clearer indication of the man’s priorities?

Hurling mourns death of Ray Ryan

The sudden passing of Ray Ryan, who hurled for Sarsfields and Cork, sent shockwaves across Leeside and beyond earlier this week. A father of three and brother of Cork senior hurling manager Pat, he was just 43.

Sarsfields chairman Keith Mulcahy articulated the shock in Ryan’s home area.

“I feel like we’ve been hit by a brick because it is never-ending,” he said. “First we had Teddy [McCarthy], then Ger Mohally, Conor McCarthy last year, and now Ray. We just can’t comprehend it.”

The club reached the All-Ireland club final earlier this year but they also know what devastation looks like. In 2023 they opened the gates to their pitches to alleviate flooding in the Glanmire area and saw their club premises ruined by the floodwater.

Facilities can be rebuilt, however. People are irreplaceable. Speaking for everyone, Mulcahy said: “The most important thing now is that the people of Glanmire and Sars come together and rally around the Ryan family to try and get them through this, be there and support them through this.”

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

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