Taoiseach told to ‘stop behaving like a child’ by Ceann Comhairle

The Taoiseach has been told to “stop behaving like a child” by the Ceann Comhairle, following a series of interruptions in the Dail.

Proceedings in the chamber on Wednesday afternoon were marked with a series of interjections from both Government and Opposition benches.

Some of the disruption related to a row on speaking rights which has hung over the business of the Dail since the formation of the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael Government, supported by independent TDs.

During questions on policy, Labour TD Alan Kelly and Taoiseach Micheal Martin were engaged in a back-and-forth exchange relating to the Garda College, despite the Ceann Comhairle indicating it was Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney’s time to speak.

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy told Mr Kelly to respect Ms Gibney’s time and as Mr Martin continued to speak, she added: “Taoiseach, please stop behaving like a child.”

There were numerous objections to the comment from the Government benches, as the Taoiseach insisted he had not been interrupting.

Ms Murphy said: “What we seem to have this morning is a playground, so I’d ask everybody to conform and have respect for the members whose time you’re taking up.”

It followed another exchange roughly 30 minutes earlier when Labour leader Ivana Bacik accused Mr Martin of being “increasingly tetchy” and having “a dismissive attitude” in the Dail chamber during a housing discussion.

“Your increasingly tetchy attitude in this House really indicates exactly why…increasingly tetchy, positively frothing with rage at some of the proposals,” she said amid several interjections from government benches.

Mr Martin said that most economic and housing experts agree that greater private investment is needed in the housing sector and told Ms Bacik she “might benefit looking at the history of your own party on this” – and referenced an old nickname for Mr Kelly.

“I quote, ‘We are creating this process now for bringing in private investment. I hope to launch a new scheme in relation to investment in social housing in the near future, a new process for bringing in investors’.

“Can we guess who said that when he was Minister for Housing? Your current colleague, former leader, Deputy Alan Kelly, back in the days when ‘AK-47’ was firing on all the cylinders back then.”

Amid interruptions from Mr Kelly who said that Fianna Fail had “crashed the whole country”, Mr Martin said: “Do not get tetchy, Alan.”

Mr Kelly responded: “You’re the tetchy one. It is you, not me. I’ve already got my nickname, sorry.”

There was widespread laughter among the opposition benches in response to the comment, and Mr Martin was dubbed “Tetchy Taoiseach” by a member of the opposition.

The Government and Opposition remain completely at odds over how to resolve a dispute on the speaking rights for independent TDs who supported the formation of Government but did not receive ministerial roles.

The Government position was that these independent TDs would still be allowed to join opposition technical groups for the purposes of speaking time.

The row caused such disruption that it forced Ms Murphy to suspend the house and delay Mr Martin’s nomination as Taoiseach last month.

The opposition has argued for the creation of a “Government-aligned technical group” which would allow those independents to retain speaking rights without using opposition time.

However, the Government has suggested that there should instead be new provisions for an “other members” grouping to resolve the row.

It argues that a modern parliament is “not necessarily made up of Government and opposition members” and that some TDs cannot be readily placed in these categories.

It would allow for members of the new grouping to ask questions under a new slot called Other Member’s Questions.

They would also be allowed to seek representation on the Business Committee.

The opposition has described this as “yet another cynical attempt to manipulate speaking time” to grant “special privileges” to independents they believe “clearly and unambiguously support the Government”.

The Dail reform committee is to meet on Wednesday evening to debate the matter.

A key point of contention from opposition parties is independent TD Michael Lowry’s involvement in Government formation talks.

Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister of state who was found by a tribunal to have behaved in a way that was “profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking”, is seen by opposition members as a leader of the Government-aligned independents.

Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty accused Mr Martin of “going to great lengths to accommodate” Mr Lowry and added: “He is one of yours, he is a Government supporting TD.”

Mr Martin responded: “Deputy Michael Lowry is an independent TD, he’s not one of ours.”

Sinn Fein TDs laughed at the Taoiseach’s response.

Mr Doherty had questioned Mr Martin about allegations against Mr Lowry, including that he had burned documents relating to the Moriarty Tribunal.

The Taoiseach said Sinn Fein needed to reflect on its leader Mary Lou McDonald for describing former senior IRA man Brendan “Bik” McFarlane as a “patriot”, despite him being involved in a gun and bomb attack which killed five people in Belfast in 1975.

Mr Martin said: “No matter what Michael Lowry did, it pales into insignificance compared to what members of your movement did.”

Ms Murphy told the Dail that Mr Lowry had written to her and asked to make a statement on the matter.