Paul Murphy: Demands Dáil Vote After Members' Business Removed
Paul Murphy questioned the removal of a scheduled Solidarity People Before Profit members' business slot, arguing it was changed without a vote of the Dáil. He challenged the Business Committee's action and described the removal as undemocratic and procedurally problematic.
Question over removal of members' business
Paul Murphy said the second report of the Business Committee had outlined a two-hour slot for debate on a Solidarity People Before Profit motion and argued that the slot remained on the Oireachtas website until it was removed without a clear vote to overturn the order adopted on Tuesday.
Dispute about whether the House voted
He repeatedly asked whether an alternative arrangement had been passed by the Dáil and insisted that the order as adopted by the House should apply unless overturned by a subsequent vote. He told colleagues that the Dáil agenda should not be changed other than by a vote of the Dáil.
Role of the Business Committee
Murphy stressed that the Business Committee only makes recommendations and is not entitled to alter the work of the Dáil. Other speakers replied that private members' business is announced on the order of business and is not agreed by the House, deepening the procedural dispute.
Legal and procedural implications
He noted the High Court judge had declined an interlocutory injunction in part because of arguments about whether the Dáil had voted to alter members' business, and Murphy emphasised his position that no such vote took place.
Immediate outcome and reaction
A motion was put that tomorrow the motion on by-elections for Dublin Midwest, Cork North Central, Dublin, Fingal and Waxwood be taken immediately before the SOS, and the House moved on. Murphy registered his objection, described the change as highly unusual and undemocratic, and expressed clear frustration as proceedings continued.
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Did an alternative arrangement get passed today for today's business which took out the Solidarity People Before Profit slot? I know an email came from the Business Committee but did it ever actually get voted on by the Dáil? I'm told that there's no alternative arrangements because there's no business indicated. Your slot. Right but then the last then substantive vote of the Dáil on this issue was on Tuesday when we voted for the business as outlined in the second report of the Business Committee which outlined for Wednesday night, for today, this slot for two hours of debate on Solidarity People Before Profit motion with a motion to be confirmed. But if that was never undone by the Dáil, then I don't understand how it was removed without a vote of this Dáil. I think that's a problem. Well my understanding was because nothing was confirmed by yourselves, the business moved forward. I think surely that the Dáil should have had a vote on that. If a slot was just going to be removed without reference back to the Dáil, I mean the Business Committee is not entitled to alter the work of the Dáil. Well, I wasn't sure genuinely as to whether a vote had taken place earlier on or... The slot was not removed, that there was no valid business on the order paper. But it was removed on the report for the Business Committee. It didn't attend. And it was removed from the website of the Oireachtas. The Business Committee, as you know, only makes recommendations and gives us indications of a matter for the House. So, I... So then we should have proceeded with a motion then. That's my point, is that the order as adopted by the House on Tuesday applies, if not overturned by the next vote of the Dáil. Yeah. All that was arranged for Wednesday was sympathies. And I'm told we're in conformity with the regulations. So, I have a motion now that, tomorrow, the motion on the by-elections for Dublin Midwest, Cork North Central, Dublin, Fingal and Waxwood shall be taken immediately before the SOS. Is that agreed? Can I just register? I won't make a... We're not interested in a suspension or anything like that. But just it seems to be highly unusual that the Dáil's business would be changed without a vote. I think it's quite undemocratic. I think it's very problematic. It's obviously the second substantial thing that has happened this week. Obviously, we should return to it in future. But I don't think it should have been removed from the website, for example, without an agreement of the Dáil. The Dáil agenda should not have been changed other than by the vote of the Dáil. Is this agreed by the House? Exactly. It was announced and agreed by the House. Is it agreed? Sorry. That's exactly the point, Lyle. I want to clarify this so that there's no ambiguity. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It's not a matter for the House to take the private member's business. It wasn't on the order paper, Noreen. Yes. It wasn't on the order paper. It was on what was passed in the House on Tuesday. Anyway, we agreed with the second business committee report, which included a slot to be confirmed for our motion. And that stayed on the website, for example, until this morning at some point it was removed from the agenda that was on the website. And just how can that have happened without a vote of the Dáil? The business and private members is not agreed by the House. It's announced on the order of business, but private members not agreed by the House. So just because this has significant implications then, because one of the reasons that the High Court judge didn't give us an interlocutory injunction was because the idea that the Dáil had voted to have members' business and to not have our members' business. To get clarity, that did not happen, that the House did not vote on any aspect of a private member's business yesterday. I gave clarification, so I just have agreed to differ. The House didn't vote on it? Yes. The House didn't vote on it? OK. OK. Right. We're moving on. Is that agreed? Agreed. For fuck's sake. OK. OK. OK. OK. OK. OK.
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