The Irish parliament has failed to nominate a new taoiseach, following a row on speaking time.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal 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 Irish premier.
The Dail 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 Fail TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach.
Members of Sinn Fein – 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 Dail until 9am on Thursday, ending a day of chaos inside the chamber which saw multiple suspensions and adjournments.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy called multiple suspensions amid widespread disorder on the opposition benches (Brian Lawless/PA)
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s agreement on forming a Government with independents sparked the enormous row over parliamentary rules, which has yet to be resolved.
Five of the nine independents who entered into negotiations are due to be given junior ministries, with the remainder expressing support for the Programme for Government but not taking up an official post.
The four remaining independents are seeking to join a technical group, which is a mechanism designed to allow opposition TDs to sit in groupings of at least five members to gain an allocation of speaking time.
This has been widely rejected by opposition parties – including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats – who argue that the independents who supported the incoming Government should not be allowed to join technical groups.
As the Dail met to nominate a taoiseach from 11am on Wednesday, opposition TDs objected to the order of business set out by the Government Chief Whip and repeatedly interrupted proceedings.
The allowance of the Government-supporting independents being allowed to join technical groups was described as “ludicrous” and “farcical”.
Ms Murphy suspended the Dail multiple times before it was agreed that party whips would meet with the clerk of the Dail to seek a resolution to the dispute. The talks did not find a solution.
At the same time, Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, had intended to nominate its leader Ms McDonald, when proceedings resume.
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald arrives at Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA)
However, the outcome of the Government formation talks suggested that Mr Martin would be approved by the Dail.
The successful nominee had been due to travel across Dublin to Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the President of Ireland, where Michael D Higgins was to sign the warrant of appointment and hand them the Seal of the Taoiseach.
That meeting was called off.
Mr Martin, 64, previously served as taoiseach in the last coalition Government with Fine Gael and the Green Party.
That coalition introduced a “rotating taoiseach” mechanism which saw the top office swapped between the leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael midway through the term.
Outgoing Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris (Brian Lawless/PA)
It is proposed that the arrangement will be repeated with the new Government, although on a three- to two-year basis in favour of Fianna Fail in recognition of the party securing a 10-seat lead over Fine Gael.
It continues a partnership which began in 2020 and set aside almost a century of animosity between the two parties forged from opposing sides of Ireland’s Civil War of the 1920s.
Mr Martin, from Cork, cites the moment Ireland became the first country to implement a workplace smoking ban in 2004, during his time as health minister, as among his proudest political achievements.
The son of an Irish international boxer, he has also held Cabinet ministries for enterprise, foreign affairs, defence and education.
He has been the leader of Fianna Fail since 2011.
Simon Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, will take the deputy premier role of tanaiste.