A NUMBER of TDs have stormed out of the Dail chamber as the speaking rights row comes to a close.
Deputies from Sinn Fein, Labour and Independent Ireland left as Regional Independent TD Carol Nolan began to ask Taoiseach Micheal Martin a question.
Carol Nolan was first to speak[/caption]
Only a few TDs were left in the chamber[/caption]
As she questioned the Fianna Fail leader on an issue regarding special education places in her Offaly constituency, only two Social Democrats deputies remained in the chamber.
They said that while other parties decided to not stay put, the Social Democrats “opted to remain.”
A spokesperson said: “We are vehemently opposed to the changes to speaking time that the Government has bulldozed through – and have made that clear for months.”
The storm came as this was the first time Regional Independent TDs were able to speak under new Dail standing orders, who is in support of the coalition.
As Deputy Nolan began speaking, the mass exodus of TDs began as they quietly left the chamber.
Sinn Fein, Labour, Independent Ireland and People Before Profit deputies each opted to leave.
One deputy told RTE: “If the Government wants to talk to itself, we don’t have to hang around.”
Following two questions and two answers, the Dail returned to normal after a total of eight minutes.
A Sinn Fein spokesperson said the walk out was “orderly and dignified.”
TDs from the Regional Independents technical group are now considered neither Government or Opposition in a new Dail agreement.
The group consists of Nolan, Michael Lowry, Danny Healy-Rae, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Mattie McGrath.
They have been given allocated speaking time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to allow for questions to be put forward to the Taoiseach.
Extra time has also been given for Minister’s Questions and Private Members’ time.
Chaos kicked off in the Dail when the Government forced a vote to change the rules in order to create a new “other members” slot last week.
This was to allow TDs who backed the Government more time to raise issues with both the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste.
The vote was won by 94 to 74 and reduced the Taoiseach’s Questions portion down from two to one per week.
It also cuts the time that TDs can raise issues during the daily Order of Business time.
Opposition parties, however, joined forces against the move to demand a clearer definition between both Opposition and Government benches.
They claim that Michael Lowry and three other independent TDs who are backing the coalition should be forced to take their speaking time from the Government slots.
