Social Democrats want to include suspended TD for committee formation

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Social Democrats are seeking to include a TD suspended from the parliamentary party in the calculus of its numbers for forming Oireachtas committees.

The roles of chair of Oireachtas committees are assigned using the d’Hondt method, which distributes the posts to the Government and opposition parties in a matter proportional to how many seats they won in the general election.

The Social Democrats won 11 seats in November’s general election, but Eoin Hayes was indefinitely suspended from the parliamentary party in December after making incorrect statements about his shares in a company linked to the Israeli military.

Mr Hayes had originally told the media and his party colleagues that he divested shares in his former employer, Palantir Technologies, prior to being elected to Dublin City Council in June.

But he later revealed that he sold the shares in July, after taking office, for a pre-tax figure of €199,000.

The company supplies technology to Israel’s military.

The Social Democrats had been calling for economic sanctions against Israel months before Mr Hayes’ election to the council.

He became a TD in November.

His suspension, which came before the current Dáil had sat for the first time, was reviewed by the national executive and remains with the parliamentary party for any further consideration.

Committee formation is now being progressed and the inclusion or exclusion of Mr Hayes’ seat in the Social Democrats’ total would mean the difference between the party holding one or two chair positions.

The d’Hondt system also dictates the order in which chair positions are assigned.

Asked last month if Mr Hayes would be included in the party’s calculus for Government formation, Social Democrat TD Jennifer Whitmore said: “Eoin Hayes is currently not a member of the parliamentary party, he’s been suspended.”

Her comment came weeks before moves on committee formation were advanced after a vote on the speaking rights row.

Pressed for a yes or no answer at the time, Ms Whitmore added: “The committees are not being set up, he’s not a member of the parliamentary party at the moment.”

The party said its internal disciplinary proceedings should not impact the allocation of committee positions.

A party spokesman said on Wednesday: “We will be contesting the notion that committee positions would not be allocated proportionately based on the results from the general election.

“The fact is that 11 Social Democrats TD were elected in November. Internal disciplinary measures, taken against one of those TDs, should not impact the allocation of committee positions.”