Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Lowry Government still trying to pull opposition speaking stroke
Labour whip Duncan Smith TD has urged Government to see sense and end the charade that Micheal Lowry and his Regional Group will be designated as a hybrid group for Dáil speaking rights.
Smith said:
“The latest proposal from Government is truly beyond belief. They are rewriting the very terms of engagement in the Dáil by proposing bespoke speaking time for Lowry’s grouping by seeing them be designated as a hybrid group with full opposition speaking rights.
“This is totally unacceptable. The Leader’s of the Government must meet opposition leaders to resolve this farcical situation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Lowry led the negotiations on the Programme for Government for his colleagues, ensuring special deals and jobs along the way. The Labour Party will not stand by as they attempt to claim black is white.
“Just yesterday, Micheal Healy Rae boasted on national radio that he and his brother Danny negotiated the Programme for Government. Now, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil want to give these Lowry Independents special hybrid speaking time so that they are either Opposition or Government depending on their mood.
“Last week in the Dáil, Opposition received an iron clad guarantee from then Government whip Hildegarde Naughton that sense would prevail, and Government TDs would not be allowed to speak out of both sides of their mouth in the Dáil chamber. This week, the newly appointed Government whip has entirely rowed back on this commitment.
“The process around forming this Government, from the deal to appoint a Ceann Comhairle, to special Minister jobs and now the icing on the cake of Lowry’s Regional Group being both inside and outside the Government, has been an exercise in bad faith.
“Lowry’s Independent grouping has already confirmed that Sean Canney will be partaking in pre-cabinet leader meetings on Monday evenings with the Taoiseach and Tanaiste. Will he be taking his orders from Lowry, who will then have his own special Lowry-time carved out in the Dáil to pat his fellow Government members on the back?
“It makes a mockery of the political system.”