The Irish parliament has been suspended twice amid a row over speaking time rights afforded to independent politicians who were part of a negotiating team in the Government formation talks.
Chaotic scenes descended in the Dail on Wednesday as TDs clashed over a decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to keep their speaking time as part of opposition technical groups.
It led to a series of interruptions and lengthy dispute over their speaking rights.
The speaker (Ceann Comhairle) of the House, Verona Murphy, was forced to suspend matters, however, after returning about 20 minutes later, the chamber was again interrupted by angry scenes.
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald arrives at Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA)
Ms Murphy suspended proceedings for a second time for around 30 minutes.
It has led to a delay in the nomination of the taoiseach.
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 had 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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Upon the resumption of the Dail after a suspension, the Ceann Comhairle said she would deal with the dispute over speaking time “expeditiously”.
She said this meant before February 5, when the Dail is planned to return after Wednesday’s proceedings.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier criticised the decision on speaking rights.
She described 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 (House speaker) 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.”