Updated • 2 minutes ago

Live McDonald says govt has shown ‘incredible arrogance’

• Opposition TDs threatened to walk out as Dáil moved to elect taoiseach
• Martin says scenes were ‘subversion of the Irish Constitution’

• McDonald says govt has shown ‘incredible arrogance’

• 19:12McDonald calls on govt to sort issue out tonightSinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the opposition objective is “not disruption for its own sake”.She said they have stated their position very clearly and it needs to get sorted tonight. “We will stand firm, collectively, in saying to the government we want clarity now from this moment that those TDs that back the government, that have been part of the programme for government crafting are government TDs.”She said it is a basic fundamental point. Deputy McDonald said the government have known that this was an issue for a week. “I frankly think that the commentary they have made today are comments of bad faith. They believed they could ramrod this through the Dáil. They can’t do that.””We will not allow things to be simply forced through the Dáil in that heavy handed and very arrogant way.”She said they are appealing to the government to sort this out tonight.

19:07

Michael Collins says democracy in question

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins has said the very word democracy was now in question.

He said nowhere in the world would it be accepted that a party to government would be in opposition.

He said he owed it to the electorate to have a very clear opposition and a government party.

“We have not refused the regionals the right to speak from within government time.”

He said it was their choice to support the government and that was democracy.

He added that they wanted their bread buttered at both ends and it could not work.

Mr Collins said a solution put forward had been the Independents taking two people from the regional group into the Independent Ireland group.

He said others needed to create solutions but the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Ceann Comhairle had refused to meet.

“We all need to pull ourselves together before tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock.”

18:54

Soc Dems deputy leader says offer for meeting refused by Harris, Martin

Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan has said what happened in the Dáil today should never have happened.

He also said it can be easily resolved if the government recognises that TDs supporting the government are government TDs and should be facilitated in government speaking time.

He said that was “clear to everybody on the street”.

Mr O’Callaghan said it is unfortunate that leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael did not take them up on an offer of a meeting of party leaders “to resolve this” this afternoon.

18:51

‘It is simply not tenable, it is a chaotic situation’ – Bacik

Labour party leader Ivana Bacik has said opposition parties stand united in “their fervent belief” to uphold democracy.

She said the opposition “simply cannot stand over a situation where those TDs who are actively engaged in supporting and constructing a programme for government can somehow also be designated as opposition TDs.”

“It is simply not tenable, it is a chaotic situation.”

She said the chaos today has dismayed everyone and it is the chaos of the government’s own making and it is a farce that the government has within their power to fix.

She said the opposition has come together, agreed on a text that will go to the two leaders of the two biggest government parties and the Ceann Comhairle.

Ms Bacik added that she believes that this can be resolved.

18:49

McDonald says proposal for govt supporting TDs to form opposition group ‘farcical’

Speaking outside the Dáil, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said the designation of those who were party to the Programme for Government as members of opposition was unacceptable and “frankly farcical”.

She said the role of opposition was to hold government to account and had to be respected.

“What transpired today was utterly farcical, and it was a mess created by government.”

She said a collective position had been reached to write to the leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Ceann Comhairle.

Ms McDonald said opposition leaders wished to have a leaders meeting.

She said this joint request had been refused and needed to be sorted out.

18:40

McDonald says govt has shown ‘incredible arrogance’

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said opposition leaders met this evening and they were united in their position that the government cannot contrive to have government TDs designated as mnembers of the opposition.

She said the government had demonstrated “incredible arrogance” and believed they could ride roughshod over the collective opposition.

Ms McDonald said there must be a clear understanding of the roles of government and opposition in order for the Dáil to work.

She said the matter can be resolved very easily but it requires honesty and integrity from the government.

18:35

SF’s Farrell says FF and FG made ‘grubby deal’ with Michael Lowry

Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell has said there was no agreement reached before the Dáil reconvened around 4pm this afternoon.

She said it is very clear that a “grubby deal” has been done between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Michael Lowry to allow opposition speaking rights for those who negotiated the Programme for Government.

She added that Micheál Martin and Simon Harris could resolve the issue immediately by not allowing this to happen.

Ms Farrell said opposition TDs must sit on opposition benches and government TDs on government benches.

She said the issue at hand was about having a functioning system and not simply down to a reduction in speaking time for individual opposition groupings.

She added that the opposition has been speaking with one voice throughout.

18:27

Deireadh grod le himeachtaí agus é ina reicstí i nDáil Éireann

18:22

Recap: Aontú leaves Regional Technical Group

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has confirmed that his party has resigned from the Regional Independents Technical Group, which includes government-supporting TDs, in order to join the Independent Technical Group amid a row over speaking rights.

The Regional Independent Technical Group and their speaking rights have been at the centre of what has caused chaotic scenes in the Dáil chamber.

Aontú’s decision to resign from the grouping leaves four Regional Independents, Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Danny Healy-Rae, as well as independents Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath remaining in the Regional Technical Group

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