Cork TDs react after day of chaos in Dáil Éireann 

The Dáil is due this morning to resume its attempts to elect a new taoiseach, after a day of chaos yesterday which was described by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin as “a subversion of the Constitution”.

A day that should have been a fait accompli for the Government parties turned into a running fiasco as the opposition successfully stymied the day’s schedule in a concerted protest against the decision to grant opposition speaking time to four Independent TDs who are supporting the Government.

The four Independents — Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole, and Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae — had formed the Regional technical group with Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín and his party colleague Paul Lawless, with Independents Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath.

The two Aontú TDs announced yesterday afternoon that they had left the Regional technical group, reducing its numbers to six, which is one more than the minimum number needed to form a technical group.

Throughout the day’s proceedings, new ceann comhairle Verona Murphy struggled to maintain any semblance of order, and was forced to halt Dáil proceedings four times.

Denied

For Mr Martin, who was denied his big day when he was elected taoiseach in 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic, today should have been a crowning day for a political career which began 40 years ago when he was first elected to what was then Cork Corporation in 1985.

A large contingent of his family and friends were in the gallery, with his wife Mary and their children, Micheál Aodh, Cillian, and Aoibhe in the Distinguished Visitors’ Gallery with his siblings.

Instead, Mr Martin is still waiting to be appointed, with the Dáil now expected to meet later this morning, when attempts to elect a taoiseach will resume.

Among Mr Martin’s fellow Cork TDs, opinions were divided along predictable party lines as to where the blame lay for a day of boredom and disappointment punctuated by noisy bursts of ill temper and high drama.

Mr Martin’s Cork South-Central running mate, first-time TD Seamus McGrath, said it had been a bad day for democracy, and he said the opposition needed to reflect overnight on its responsibilities.

“In the general election, the people spoke, I accept there was an argument about speaking rights, but I genuinely think that should not have impeded the election of a taoiseach, which is a constitutional duty incumbent upon all of us elected to the Dáil Éireann,” he said.

“It’s been an unfortunate day for democracy, and I hope we can get on with our business when the Dáil resumes.

“We have so many important things we need to address as a parliament and as a Government.

“We’ve had our election, the campaigning should be over, and we need to get down to business.”

He added that, on a human level, he had great sympathy for Mr Martin and his family.

Breathtaking

However, Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North-Central, said the day had indeed seen a subversion of the Constitution, but it had been by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, he claimed.

“I was elected by the people of Cork North-Central,” Mr Gould said.

“Thousands of people voted for me to have their voices heard in this Dáil chamber and then the neck and the arrogance out of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste to have four Regional Independent TDs as junior ministers in Government and then four more as opposition TDs, taking up opposition time, is just breathtaking.

“I’ll speak up and stand up for the people of Cork and for all the people, and what the Government parties did was a thundering disgrace.”

Michael Collins, Independent Ireland leader and Cork South-West TD, said Mr Martin had fundamentally underestimated the power of democracy.

“I would agree that it was a subversion of democracy, but it was by Micheál Martin and Simon Harris, and they could have sorted this issue at any time, but instead it wasn’t done,” he said.

“The Regional Independent TDs are members of the Government, and they cannot be allowed to be in opposition as well, so the Taoiseach, and the incoming taoiseach, misjudged the strength of democracy.”

Kenneth O’Flynn, newly elected Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central, said he was extremely anxious to get the Government in place so it could be held to account, “but that cannot come at the expense of democracy”.

Mr O’Flynn added: “You can’t be six of one and half-dozen of the other. You’re either in Government or you’re out of Government.

“You can’t hold someone to account one day and be screaming that this is wrong and that is wrong and then be voting for them every day of the week.”

Disappointing

Recently re-elected to the Dáil as a Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central, 17-year Oireachtas veteran Jerry Buttimer said it was very disappointing that Mr Martin had not been elected Taoiseach.

“What’s happened is unacceptable, and therefore I think that it’s important that we respect the office of Ceann Comhairle and that we give the Dáil the due respect that it deserves, and today was unedifying in many ways,” he said.

Mr Martin’s northside Fianna Fáil colleague Pádraig O’Sullivan said he felt for his party leader on a personal level and he hoped he would be elected Taoiseach today. 

Mr O’Sullivan said the "majority of the Dáil" were happy to go ahead yesterday with the Dáil’s business. 

"It’s for the members of the Dáil and the ceann comhairle to dictate any arrangements regarding speaking rights and I would contend that the opposition parties have an awful lot to answer for," he added. 

Mr O’Sullivan said it was his "sincere hope" that this morning TDs could "resume the important business that people elected to carry out on their behalf, and that starts with electing Micheál Martin taoiseach".