Sinn Féin Chief Whip, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, has said the genuine opposition will ‘fight all the way’ the farcical proposal that government-supporting independents can sit in an opposition technical group.
The proposed “opposition” technical group which includes four members who support the new Government has been strongly opposed by all opposition parties except Aontú.
They say the four Independents who took part in government formation talks (Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole – and Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae) should not be able to speak and ask questions from the opposition benches.
Sinn Féin, along with the Labour Party, Social Democrats and People Before Profit, yesterday made a joint submission to the Ceann Comhairle, which shows that the proposal is in direct contradiction to the Dáil’s standing orders.
Teachta Mac Lochlainn said: “Sinn Féin, along with the Labour Party, Social Democrats and People Before Profit, have today made a joint submission to the Ceann Comhairle on the proposal that the Regional Independent Group members who are not ministers in the new government can sit in an opposition technical group.
“Our joint submission shows clearly that this proposal is in direct contradiction to the Dáil’s standing orders.
“Sinn Féin engaged legal advice on this cynical move by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to facilitate the Regional Independents group to sit in government and opposition at the same time. The advice is clear.
“It is absurd to allow Regional Independent TDs to form an opposition group when they have just agreed to support the government for the next five years.
“This would mean that a group that supports the government would be given opposition speaking time, resources, and committee positions that should go to genuine opposition TDs. It’s farcical.”
Deputy Mac Lochlainn says that Standing Order 170 is “crystal clear”.
“A group is a body of members in opposition. Now, with trademark arrogance, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have decided that the rules shouldn’t apply to the Independent TDs who are their colleagues in government.
“The main function of the Dáil is to hold the government to account on behalf of the people. This responsibility primarily falls to those of us in opposition.
“This manoeuvre by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the so-called independent TDs in government makes a mockery of that principle, undermines the integrity of the Dáil and takes people for fools.
“It’s nothing but a self-serving attempt to grease the wheels of their deal and dilute accountability and scrutiny of their government. We will fight this all the way.”
