ieExplains: Why has the speaking rights row been going on for so long?
Independent TD Michael Lowry. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
The speaking rights row can be traced back to government formation talks and the deal struck between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and a number of Independent TDs led by Michael Lowry.
While some members of the regional group of Independents received junior ministerial positions and Verona Murphy was appointed Ceann Comhairle, those who remained on the backbenchers indicated that they would be supporting the Government from the opposition.
The move to form a technical group by Michael Lowry, Danny Healy-Rae, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole to facilitate this sparked anger and mayhem in the Dáil, with opposition parties uniting to claim that TDs who played a critical role in drafting the programme for government couldn't then effectively try to be in opposition.
The four TDs were eager to form a technical group as under the Dáil rules, these groups made up of five members or more, provide politicians with access to resources and more importantly speaking time during high profile debates and the weekly Leaders' Questions slots.
A day of chaos broke out when the Dáil reconvened in January, which caused the suspension of business a number of times and delayed the election of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach.
In a bid to resolve the matter a cross-party Dáil Reform Committee was set up at the end of January.
However, lengthy discussions resulted in little progress, and at one stag,e the Ceann Comhairle was forced to move between two rooms, one occupied by the opposition and the other by government representatives.
Proposals were put forward by both the Government side and opposition parties, none of which could be agreed upon.
After weeks of unsuccessful negotiations, the Government, which has a majority on the committee, pressed ahead with a vote on its own proposals on February 26.
The opposition quickly accused the Government of railroading through measures which it could not accept. However, because the proposals passed the Committee they were sent forward to a Dáil vote.
Under the latest proposals, the Government is creating a new 'other members' category of TDs. This would include backbenchers from Government parties and other TDs that form groups of at least five deputies in order to avail of the new speaking rights. This takes in the Michael Lowry group.
Put simply, the new 'other members' category would neither be considered as government or opposition and would sit somewhere in between.
The changes would also introduce a new eight-minute-long 'other members questions' session on Wednesdays and Thursdays. During this time, one TD from the new category would be able to pose a question to the Taoiseach or Tánaiste each day.
Separately, the 'written questions' slot, which is taken by the Taoiseach on Wednesdays, is to be cut, which opposition parties say will also limit the time they have to hold the Government to account.
