The Dáil has been adjourned for the day after controversial changes on speaking rights were voted through amid chaotic scenes.
There are questions over the tenure of Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy after opposition leaders indicated they did not have confidence in her.
Ms Murphy adjourned the Dáil until Wednesday morning after declaring that the change to the standing orders was carried, despite opposition parties attempting to obstruct the result.
The vote is understood to be 94 to 74, however it was not formally announced to the Dáil. Opposition tellers refused to sign the paper, but Ms Murphy said it was carried.
Opposition TDs shouted “shame, shame, shame”, as Government backbenchers left the Dáil.
Video footage posted online by People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy showed Michael Lowry, who is at the centre of the controversy, making a gesture towards the camera as the chants reverberate around the House.
Shame on this government and their Ceann Comhairle. pic.twitter.com/iQJpFISc3c
— Paul Murphy 🏳️⚧️ (@paulmurphy_TD) March 25, 2025
It came after hours of chaotic scenes, shouting, interruptions and allegations of misogyny over the speaking rights row as tension spilled across Leaders Questions.
The Government and opposition have been arguing over how four coalition-affiliated Independent TDs should be given speaking slots in the Dáil.
After weeks of trying to reach a compromise, the Government pushed through its proposals on Tuesday, using its majority.
Before the vote took place, opposition TDs took to their feet and raised their objections, ignoring pleas from the Ceann Comhairle to resume their seats.
The Sinn Féin team ready ahead of a busy day in the Dáil!🙌🏽
We are going in to stand up for you!#SinnFéin pic.twitter.com/oFHiSRJdxx— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) March 25, 2025
She accused members of the opposition of making a “holy show of yourselves” in front of everyone.
During the lengthy standoff, Ms Murphy ordered TDs to sit down, saying their actions were a “disgrace, an absolute disgrace”.
“It’s very clear you have no respect for the chair, none whatsoever,” she said.
“One of your colleagues mentioned misogyny. Misogyny is what was mentioned earlier.”
She then invited the Government Chief Whip Mary Butler to continue with the next item amid a chorus of raised voices from dozens of opposition TDs.
“The order of business has been agreed to, I adjourn the House,” Ms Murphy said before leaving the Dáil chamber as the cacophony continued.
The coalition brought forward significant modifications to the standing orders of the Dáil.
The opposition said it would “fight tooth and nail” against the measures which the Government insists are “modest”.
The changes will see a creation of new speaking slots for coalition backbenchers and Government-aligned independents, a reduction of time for contributions on debating the order of business, and a halving of slots for Taoiseach’s Questions.
Many of the independents which entered into Government negotiations were led by Mr Lowry – a former Fine Gael minister of state who was found by a tribunal to have behaved in a way that was “profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking”.
In a joint press conference on Tuesday evening, the leaders of Sinn Féin, Labour, Independent Ireland, People Before Profit and the Green Party, as well as an Aontú TD and the deputy leader of the Social Democrats, indicated that they did not have confidence in the Ceann Comhairle.
Asked to raise their hand if they had confidence in Ms Murphy, no representative did so.
This is absolutely shocking
— Duncan Smith TD (@DuncanSmithTD) March 25, 2025
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said: “What exactly does Michael Lowry have over you Micheal Martin? What debt do you owe to him?
“A former Fine Gael minister, a rogue politician, as you described him, now Kingmaker for your government, a man who you want to sit in both government and opposition at the same time.
“The combined opposition has repeatedly sought to meet with you to resolve this matter.
“Our offers have either been rejected or ignored. You act in bad faith and to meet your narrow short term need to placate Lowry and co, you now propose to do real and lasting damage to the democratic processes of the Dáil.
“The combined opposition are not backing down on this matter. We reject your attempt to run roughshod over this Dáil and to ram through this motion.”
Labour leader Ivana Bacik accused the Government of “dragging us back to this absurd technical groups issue” in their latest proposal on Dáil speaking time.
She said that the Ceann Comhairle had decided that Mr Lowry and three other Government-affiliated independent TDs were not in opposition and accused Taoiseach Micheál Martin of “defending the indefensible”.
“To describe Lowry’s group as wolves in sheep’s clothing would give them too much credit, but they are certainly a very poor tribute act,” she said.
Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan called it “extraordinary” and a “shameless political stroke that would make even Bertie blush”.
“In more than 100 years of this Dáil, Taoiseach, never, ever in the weekly schedule, has there been a time slot created where 100 per cent of the time is allocated to the Government,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“Do you not see something fundamentally wrong with a time slot being created where Government TDs ask the Government Minister, the Government Taoiseach, questions without any input from opposition.”
Asked where in the world this happens, Mr Martin said “Westminster”.
The Fianna Fáil leader then took aim at the Labour Party and Social Democrats and said the changes were “minuscule”.
He accused the Social Democrats’ election manifesto of being “short on detail” and said they and the Labour Party were “nervous of each other” and didn’t opt in for coalition formation.
“It seems the election result has never sunk in with people on the opposite side. That’s just a reality,” Mr Martin said.
After he was repeatedly interrupted while speaking during the heated dispute, the Fianna Fáil leader said: “I was elected to this House first in 1989, I have never seen an attempt like this.”
Opposition parties argue the changes are an attempt to dilute their ability to hold the Government to account and to blur the relationship between the independents who have supported the formation of the coalition.
The row has its origins in the formation of the current coalition involving Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, supported by several Independents.
Some of those Independents have been appointed as junior ministers while the others had sought to join an opposition technical group for the purposes of speaking time, despite supporting the formation of Government.
The row delayed Mr Martin’s nomination as Taoiseach in January and has trundled on despite several inter-party meetings and the intervention of the Ceann Comhairle in favour of the opposition.
This led to a brief reprieve before the dispute was reignited after the Government put forward a new proposal to change speaking time arrangements and suggested it would use its majority to push them through.
The coalition changes deal with the matter of the Government-aligned independents by creating a new designation of “other members”, rather than the binary distinction of opposition or government.
Opposition parties – Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, Independent Ireland, Solidarity-People Before Profit and Aontú – are protesting the decision.
A side-effect of the row is that Oireachtas committees have also not reformed since the general election last year.
Opposition parties have raised uncertainty over whether the Government will seek to use the proposed new technical group for the purposes of getting more representation on committees.
Fine Gael leader and Tánaiste Simon Harris likened the potential for opposition disruption to behaviour seen in a “creche”.
“There does need to be a sense of proportionality. Yes, it’s good to tease things through. Yes, we can have different perspectives. Yes, it’s a democracy.
“But the idea that you would say today ‘we don’t like the results of the Dáil, we’re going to walk out and cause chaos’. I mean, come on – it’s not a creche.”
