Leas Ceann Comhairle Pat the Cope Gallagher was forced to intervene after a row erupted in the Dáil earlier today.
The Donegal TD was forced to suspend the Dáil for five minutes as tempers flared this afternoon.
The argument began when Deputy Marc MacSharry felt that some TDs weren’t abiding by the rules of the new speaker queueing system for addressing the Taoiseach. Upon entry, speakers are allocated a number. The Sligo-Leitrim TD raised his number (11), saying that it is his turn to speak, however an argument quickly ensued between himself and the Healy Rae brothers.
Gallagher urged MacSharry to “control himself” as the rowing match erupted between the three TDs.
“I will take action if necessary… you’re all circumventing the regulations,” Gallagher scolded.
Gallagher then said he will suspend the house, to which MacSharry hit back “suspend it if you like.”
“You will not speak to chair like that,” Gallagher said before suspending the house.
After a five minute break the Dáil resumed.
Gallagher said that the new queueing system is being piloted and will be reviewed after Easter. He added that the suspension of the Dáil “was nothing to do with the cards… [and it] wasn’t a question of me showing favouritism to anybody.”
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