Pádraig Mac Lochlainn confronts Taoiseach over Dáil recess
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn challenges the Taoiseach over a prolonged absence from the Dáil and accuses Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of arrogance and entitlement. He says the Dáil has not sat for 20 days and demands the Taoiseach to face leaders' questions and proceed with questions promised legislation.
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn addressed the chamber, saying it has been three weeks since the Taoiseach last appeared accountable to the houses and that the Dáil has not sat for 20 days. He told the Taoiseach he would not accept the refusal to reconvene the Dáil when asked to deal with an ongoing crisis.
Mac Lochlainn directly accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of displaying 'arrogance and entitlement' in their handling of parliamentary business. He pressed the Taoiseach to 'start listening' and to honour the original schedule of proceedings rather than avoiding scrutiny.
The speaker demanded that the Taoiseach take leaders' questions, questions on promise legislation, and Taoiseach's questions today. The intervention frames the lack of sittings as a failure of accountability and calls for an immediate return to parliamentary business to address the issue at hand.
What happened
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn addressed the chamber, saying it has been three weeks since the Taoiseach last appeared accountable to the houses and that the Dáil has not sat for 20 days. He told the Taoiseach he would not accept the refusal to reconvene the Dáil when asked to deal with an ongoing crisis.
The accusation
Mac Lochlainn directly accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of displaying 'arrogance and entitlement' in their handling of parliamentary business. He pressed the Taoiseach to 'start listening' and to honour the original schedule of proceedings rather than avoiding scrutiny.
The demands
The speaker demanded that the Taoiseach take leaders' questions, questions on promise legislation, and Taoiseach's questions today. The intervention frames the lack of sittings as a failure of accountability and calls for an immediate return to parliamentary business to address the issue at hand.
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Transcript
Thanks very much Cathaoirleach, absolutely not agree. Taoiseach, it's been three weeks, three weeks now since you were accountable to these houses. 20 days that this Dáil hasn't sat and you would not reconvene the Dáil when we asked you to deal with this crisis, to have this place sitting, you wouldn't do it, you wouldn't do it. Arrogance and entitlement seems to be the mentality here of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Arrogance and entitlement. Taoiseach, will you start listening? Will you do your job and will you stick with the original schedule and take leaders questions, questions on promise legislation and Taoiseach's questions today? Will you just do your job?