The row which led to lengthy delays in electing Ireland’s next taoiseach stemmed from a move by independent politicians to form a “technical group”, which would give them speaking rights from the opposition benches.
There has been pushback from opposition parties to allow members of the Independent Regional Group, who agreed to support the the Government, to be given these rights.
Dail rules state that a number of TDs can come together to get similar speaking rights and Dail time to those afforded to political parties.
Seven TDs from the Independent Regional Group negotiated with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to agree a Programme for Government and to back the Government throughout its lifetime.
Some of those TDs – Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole – want to join Danny Healy-Rae, Independent TD Carol Nolan and Aontu’s Peadar Toibin and Paul Lawless to form the technical group.
The Ceann Comhairle (House speaker) Verona Murphy has allowed the move for now.
That has led to the chaotic scenes that descended on the Dail on Wednesday as TDs clashed over the decision.
Ms Murphy was forced to suspend Dail proceedings for almost half an hour, but less than two minutes after it resumed, the chamber was once again interrupted by angry scenes.
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald arrives at Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA)
Several Sinn Fein representatives have objected to Government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business.
In particular, they noted that Sinn Fein had received more seats than Fine Gael in the election.
The party’s chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn called for the Dail to be suspended for an urgent meeting of the Business Committee over the dispute.
As Mr Mac Lochlainn’s party colleague Matt Carthy continued making objections, Ms Murphy said she would suspend the Dail for 15 minutes.
She made the decision after Mr Carthy did not return to his seat and the suspension was not for Sinn Fein’s request of a meeting of the Business Committee.
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Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald criticised the decision on speaking rights, describing it as a “cynical and unprecedented ruse” from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
“I have seen brazen actions by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in past Dails and in past governments, but this takes the biscuit,” she added.
“What is proposed today is anything but fair, anything but independent, and is completely unacceptable to those of us in Sinn Fein and, I believe, to the opposition as a whole.”
Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit have also criticised the decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to be allocated opposition speaking time.
Labour’s Duncan Smith said the public is angry about the arrangement.
“They are really angry. And I would like you, Cean Comhairle, to commit a deadline as to when you will make an adjudication upon the joint opposition submission on this matter and make a decision that is in the goodness of the entire parliament and every member in this House,” he said.
“Us in opposition believe there is only one answer to that question.”
Independent TD Michael Lowry outside Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA)
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the arrangement was “ludicrous”.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it was a “farcical start” to the new Dail term.
Michael Lowry, who chaired the Regional Independents Group during the negotiations, said the Committee on Standing Orders and Dail Reform will make a decision on the group’s request to sit on the parliament’s opposition benches.
“The Ceann Comhairle has been referred for advice and, as of today, we will sit (on the opposition benches) and then it will go to the Reform Committee of the Dail, and the committee will make a decision and we will come back for a full ratification,” he told reporters.
“That will happen in the next couple of weeks.
“Fianna Fail did that in their confidence-and-supply arrangement. I’ve been here for 25 years – Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar – I supported them all through opposition and I will do the same.
“It will be an issue for the Dail Reform Committee and when that decision is taken, we will get on with the business.”