Live: Dáil fails to nominate new taoiseach

5pm

The Dáil has failed to nominate a new taoiseach, following a row on speaking time.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin had been poised to become the next taoiseach after agreeing a Programme for Government with the Fine Gael party and a selection of independents.

However, a dispute over whether some of those independents would be allocated opposition speaking time ended Wednesday’s proceedings without a new Taoiseach.

The Dáil sitting to nominate a new taoiseach was delayed for hours to allow for talks on resolving the dispute.

Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton addressed the chamber after 4.25pm and said the nomination process should proceed.

Fianna Fáil TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach.

Members of Sinn Féin – including leader Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn – continued to interrupt the sitting.

Mr Doherty described the Ceann Comhairle’s attempts to proceed as a “disgrace”, while Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was “outrageous”.

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy adjourned the Dáil until 9am on Thursday, ending a day of chaos inside the chamber which saw multiple suspensions and adjournments.

4pm

The Dáil looks set to resume shortly, with the process to appoint Micheál Martin Taoiseach likely to take approximately two hours.

It comes as Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has confirmed that he and his party’s other TD, Paul Lawless, have left the Regional Technical Group.

This leaves the group with six members: the four Regional Independent Group TDs, plus Carol Nolan from Offaly and Mattie McGrath from Tipperary South. Technical groups need to have a minimum of five members.

Once Mr Martin is elected Taoiseach, he will be driven to the Áras to receive his seal of office from President Higgins.

Then it is customary that a four-hour lull would then follow as the new Taoiseach returns to Leinster House to inform his new Cabinet of their appointments, and then they will go to the Áras to receive their seals of office.

3pm

“No deal” is the phrase currently doing the rounds in and around the Dáil chamber, which is still suspended almost an hour after a meeting of the Dáil business committee had been due to end.

It is understood that a stalemate about where the four Independent TDS will sit is no closer to resolution, with the whips now going back into a meeting.

The incoming Taoiseach’s family resumed their seats in the Distinguished Visitors’ Gallery at 2pm, when the Dáil had been expected to resume, but the house remains suspended.

Whenever the Dáil does resume, if the row can be resolved, it will likely take two hours before Mr Martin would be appointed, at which point he will be driven to the Áras to receive his seal of office from President Higgins.

Then it is customary that a four-hour lull would follow as the new Taoiseach returns to Leinster House to inform his new Cabinet of their appointments, and then they will go to the Áras to receive their seals of office.

At the current rate, with Government TDs looking cranky and opposition members openly jubilant, the day in Leinster House will likely drag on well past midnight.

More to follow.

Earlier

The Dáil has been suspended for the third time today, with Micheál Martin’s approval as Taoiseach and the subsequent appointment of Cabinet ministers now looking likely to be delayed until later this afternoon.

The latest suspension has come as a meeting of the Dáil’s business committee is taking place to attempt to hammer out a deal on Dáil speaking time and the Government’s proposal that the Dáil take a two-week break after today’s sitting.

This morning’s Dáil sitting was initially suspended as a shouting match erupted as opposition TDs heckled new Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy over speaking rights.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald branded as “cynical and unprecedented” an attempt by Independent TDs who had helped draft the programme for government to have speaking rights during opposition time.

“I have seen brazen actions by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in past governments but this takes the biscuit,” she said.

Independent Ireland leader, Cork South West TD Michael Collins, told members of the Regional Independents Group who have joined a new technical group in a bid to gain speaking time at leaders’ question time: “You cannot be on the inside and on the outside”.

Richard O’Donoghue, also of Independent Ireland, said there was a “conflict of interest” with the Ceann Comhairle adjudicating on the matter, pointing out that Ms Murphy had been a member of the Regional Independents Group and was recommended for the job by Michael Lowry.

Ms Murphy is yet to rule on where the Regional Independents who are not serving in Government will sit, with temporary arrangements for today seeing them remain on the opposition benches.

As chaos broke out, the Ceann Comhairle suspended the Dáil, and when it returned, the shouting quickly resumed, with Thomas Gould, Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central attempting to speak on a point of order.

“The people of Cork North Central elected me to represent them,” Mr Gould began, before being drowned out as bedlam erupted.

The Ceann Comhairle again suspended the Dáil, this time for half an hour, which then dragged on for over an hour, before Government chief whip Hildegard Naughton read a brief statement saying the Dáil would adjourn after today until February 5, and party whips on the Dáil business committee would now meet with the Ceann Comhairle to attempt to resolve the question of speaking rights.

That meeting is due to take 30 minutes, and with a further 15 minutes for a meeting of the whips with their respective party leaders, the Dáil is expected to resume just after 2pm.

Assuming the row can be resolved, the opposition has succeeded in upscuttling the presumptive Taoiseach’s schedule, with Mr Martin not expected now to go to the Áras for his seal of office until at least 4pm, and the announcement of the new Cabinet until at least 8pm.

More to follow.