Deputy premier calls for ‘restoration of decorum’ in Irish parliament

Disruption which led to the suspension of Ireland’s parliament was “regrettable, unseemly and unbecoming”, Irish deputy premier Simon Harris has said.

Opposition leaders are to meet on Wednesday morning after the Dail was disrupted amid a row on speaking time changes.

The opposition party representatives are to discuss their response to the disorder in the Dail, the Irish parliament’s lower house.

There were chaotic scenes of shouting, interruptions and allegations of misogyny on Tuesday as weeks of tension over the speaking rights row boiled over during Leaders’ Questions.

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy fielded interruptions and tried to continue Dail proceedings as opposition TDs took to their feet and objected to the Government’s proposals.

She declared the order of business and changes to the standing orders passed before adjourning the Dail until after 9am on Wednesday.

Her position was called into question after leading opposition figures refused to express confidence with her after the suspension of the Dail.

Speaking about the leaders’ meeting, Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman told The Late Debate they would discuss how the opposition would proceed, as well as the role of the Ceann Comhairle.

In a statement on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin accused the opposition of trying to bully and intimidate Ms Murphy, and said it “marked a new low” for the opposition.

“The prolonged barracking and the disgraceful lack of respect for the mandates of elected deputies was shocking in its intensity,” he said.

He said the actions of opposition have been “completely disproportionate over what is essentially an additional eight minutes of speaking time on two days in the Dail”.

“The opposition have not lost a single minute of their time or ability to hold government to account,” he said.

Deputy premier Simon Harris said the level of anger displayed by the opposition on the speaking rights row was “disproportionate” and did not “indicate a willingness to try and find a way forward here”.

Speaking to reporters in Lebanon, Mr Harris said the public wanted to see elected representatives work on the issues facing Ireland, including housing, economic headwinds from the EU-US trade dispute and the safety of Irish peacekeepers abroad.

“What has happened in the Dail is really regrettable, really unbecoming, really unseemly, but we’ve got to move forward now, because I think the people who pay our wages, our bosses, the people of Ireland, want us to get on with it.”

Asked if Government could do anything to ameliorate opposition concerns, he suggested the re-establishment of committees may see a return to cross-party work.

“The Dail needs to get into that rhythm now.”

He added: “We need to move on and restore decorum in the Dail chamber.”

Asked about an incident in which a Government-supporting independent TD raised two fingers up to members of the opposition, Mr Harris said: “I think that was also unseemly and unbecoming, but I think that behaviour wasn’t isolated to any one deputy.

“Because I think when you have grown men standing up and shouting and roaring at the Ceann Comhairle and refusing to follow her direction – a person who was elected to implement the rules of the House.

“You know the rules are very simple. When the Ceann Comhairle stands up, you sit down. And to see adults standing up, shouting and roaring, hooping and hollering, isn’t anything you’d want see in any workplace, least of all the Dail.”