Taoiseach defends Dáil changes ahead of potential disruption

Forty-five minutes is allocated on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Taoiseach’s Questions, separate from the 34-minute slot for Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Mr Martin said the proposed reduction comes as he deals with matters outside the Dáil – including the war in Ukraine and the escalating EU-US trade dispute – but he maintained that he would remain “the most accountable prime minister in Europe”.

He said opposition objections to the Government proposals, which would also create new eight-minute slots on Wednesday and Thursday for coalition backbenchers and Government-aligned independents, are “politically manufactured”.

The opposition is expected to disrupt Dáil proceedings on Tuesday as part of the deepening row over speaking time.

The Taoiseach said the proposed changes are “modest” and do not call for “efforts to frustrate progress in the Dáil”.

Five opposition parties met on Monday to agree a response to the Government’s proposal to change speaking-time arrangements in order to create a new slot for coalition backbenchers and government-affiliated independents.

The disruption is expected just after 2pm, during the Leaders’ Questions slot in the Dáil.

The row delayed Mr Martin’s nomination as Taoiseach in January and has trundled on despite several inter-party meetings and the intervention of the Ceann Comhairle in favour of the opposition.

This led to a brief reprieve before the dispute was reignited after the government put forward a new proposal to change speaking time arrangements and suggested it would use its majority to push them through.

Opposition parties — Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, Independent Ireland and Solidarity-People Before Profit — are to protest against that decision when the Dáil reconvenes on Tuesday.

There has been suggestion of the potential for widespread disruption, rather than a walkout which could allow the government to continue to pass legislation.

The opposition have criticised the Government proposal, saying it is due to be voted on without a debate, halves the time available for opposing the Order of Business, and reduces the time for Taoiseach’s Questions every week from 90 to 45 minutes.

Asked before Cabinet on Tuesday if he had any nerves about potential disruption in the Dáil chamber, Mr Martin replied: “Not at all.”

He added: “I think the proposals are balanced, they’re modest. The opposition are losing no time at all, some opposition parties will gain more time, actually.

“And it seems to me that there needs to be some rebalancing and enabling backbench TDs to at least get an opportunity.”

Mr Martin said ministers and the Taoiseach are in the Dáil more often than their counterparts in other European parliaments “by a long shot”.

Pressed on the proposal to halve time for Taoiseach’s Questions, he said: “That’s the Taoiseach’s slot, not Leaders’ Questions.”

Mr Martin added: “They weren’t being used as well as opposition are claiming, by the way. Some opposition leaders didn’t participate in that.

“But also the Taoiseach of the day has a lot going on in terms of the necessity to get other work done. Particularly in the international situation right now where there’s huge pressure on Europe and across the country, the war in Ukraine, the tariff issue, the economic headwinds that could be blowing in our direction.

“There’s a lot of issues that demand a lot of attention — and the Taoiseach of the day will be the most accountable prime minister in Europe.”

Tánaiste Simon Harris has likened the potential for opposition disruption to behaviour in a “creche”.

Mr Harris, who was speaking to reporters before a Cabinet meeting and his visit to Lebanon, said the opposition response has been “disproportionate”.

Asked if he was worried about an opposition walk-out in the Dail on Tuesday, Mr Harris said: “No, I’m worried about the safety of our troops in Lebanon.

“I’m worried about making sure we continue to project jobs and investment in Ireland, and really, any sort of political stunts I don’t really have much bandwidth for them quite frankly.”

He added: “There does need to be a sense of proportionality. Yes, it’s good to tease things through. Yes, we can have different perspectives. Yes, it’s a democracy.

“But the idea that you would say today ‘we don’t like the results of the Dail, we’re going to walk out and cause chaos’. I mean, come on – it’s not a creche.”

In particular, Mr Harris said there was an unwillingness to compromise from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.