Richard Boyd Barrett Accuses Government of Undermining Democracy
Richard Boyd Barrett challenged government moves he said would limit opposition scrutiny, arguing they amount to an attempt to undermine democracy. He criticised the proposal to allow the Lowry and Healy Ray groups to be part of both Government and Opposition and warned of reductions to Taoiseach's questions under proposed Dáil reform.
He accused the Government of insisting that the Lowry and Healy Ray groups could be part of the Government and simultaneously be part of the Opposition - taking up their speaking time, committee places and resources, and thereby minimising the Opposition's ability to scrutinise the Government.
He noted that this week the Taoiseach will appear only once instead of twice at Taoiseach's questions and cited the Government's submission on Dáil reform as seeking to reduce Taoiseach's questions to one day a week - further reducing the Government's exposure to interrogation.
He said QPL has been compromised and accused Deputy MacDonald and Deputy Pacheco of attempting to dictate who forms groups in the House. He defended freedom of association as a fundamental principle that people are allowed to associate with whom they like and said that principle had been denied.
He highlighted the allocation of 90 priority questions over six weeks, saying Sinn Féin would have 47, Labour 12, SOC Dems 11 and government backbenchers none - arguing that elected TDs must retain the right to ask questions.
The speech was interspersed with interruptions and exchanges about who should address questions, offers to facilitate debates on floods in Cork and housing commission statements, and a warning that the Opposition would not be railroaded or browbeaten or intimidated by tactics.
Allegation of undermining democracy
He accused the Government of insisting that the Lowry and Healy Ray groups could be part of the Government and simultaneously be part of the Opposition - taking up their speaking time, committee places and resources, and thereby minimising the Opposition's ability to scrutinise the Government.
Dáil reform and Taoiseach's questions
He noted that this week the Taoiseach will appear only once instead of twice at Taoiseach's questions and cited the Government's submission on Dáil reform as seeking to reduce Taoiseach's questions to one day a week - further reducing the Government's exposure to interrogation.
Group formation and freedom of association
He said QPL has been compromised and accused Deputy MacDonald and Deputy Pacheco of attempting to dictate who forms groups in the House. He defended freedom of association as a fundamental principle that people are allowed to associate with whom they like and said that principle had been denied.
Priority questions distribution
He highlighted the allocation of 90 priority questions over six weeks, saying Sinn Féin would have 47, Labour 12, SOC Dems 11 and government backbenchers none - arguing that elected TDs must retain the right to ask questions.
Procedural clashes and responses
The speech was interspersed with interruptions and exchanges about who should address questions, offers to facilitate debates on floods in Cork and housing commission statements, and a warning that the Opposition would not be railroaded or browbeaten or intimidated by tactics.
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Transcript
The Government are trying to undermine democracy by insisting that the Lowry and Healy Ray groups could be part of the Government and simultaneously be part of the Opposition, taking up their speaking time, committee places and resources. And this is clearly an effort to minimise the ability of the Opposition to actually scrutinise the Government. And another example of that, this week, for the third time every single week, instead of two appearances by the Taoiseach at Taoiseach's questions, he will only appear once this week. And that that's not a coincidence is confirmed by the Government's submission on Dáil reform, where the Government are looking to reduce Taoiseach's questions to one day a week. Thanks, Stephen. Further reducing the Government's exposure to interrogation, not just by the Opposition, but by their own backbenchers, who they claim to care so much about. Thanks, Stephen. I just want to say at the outset that I've observed with some interest the growing Labour Party, Sinn Féin Party Alliance, in this House. But I have to say that the Opposition... Deputies, deputies, deputies. The Opposition keep using the phrase that the Government is trying to ram through. It seems to me that the Opposition have been trying to ram through a new order in the House. And a new precedent. It's an important matter here. It is an important matter. I've heard everybody. Well, QPL has been compromised. And it seems to be now the new order that Deputy MacDonald and Deputy Pacheco will dictate who forms the group in this House. Now, we have freedom of association. Deputy, just resume yourself. It's a fundamental basic principle that people are allowed to associate with whom they like. That's the first point. That has been denied here for the first time since I became a member of the Dáilary. I've never seen this before. And there's been a bit of a herd-like attitude to this debate amongst the Opposition and indeed some commentators as well. People have not looked at the fundamental principles underpinning all of this. And what I would say is in the next six weeks alone, there will be 90 priority questions will be asked in this talk. Sinn Féin will have 47 of them, Labour 12, SOC Dems 11, backbenchers on the government side, absolutely none. If you don't want to hear the answer, we'll move on to the question. The people who elected their TDs. Thanks, Taoiseach. The people who elected their TDs. I've had to listen to five or six minutes. Taoiseach, the point is that they don't want to listen. So we'll just move to the vote. Well, I want to make a point. We'll just move to the vote. The people have elected TDs, okay? Please. I think people would be shocked. Please. I think people would be shocked at the idea that their TDs don't have the right to speak, don't have the right to ask questions. You have 20 minutes to address Mike Collins' question. Irrespective of whether they're in a political party or not. Please address Deputy Collins. Deputy Collins. And we're not going to be railroaded or browbeaten or intimidated by the Opposition in terms of its tactics. T-Shock. T-Shock, you didn't address. On floods in Cork, I'd be very happy to facilitate that debate. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And just to say, if we can do it this week, you did ask last week for the Housing Commission and their statements on Thursday. But if we can do it this week, we'll do it. Whether it might be better or wrong to do it next week. Thank you, T-Shock. Resume. That's it now.