Michael Lowry

No budging

‘Lowry has severe power over this Government’: Threat of further Dáil chaos with no deal reached

Talks today failed to resolve the speaking rights issue, which is now set to rumble into next week.THE ROW OVER speaking time for Michael Lowry and the Regional Independents will rumble into next week, with no deal reached today after a mammoth meeting.

The failure to reach an agreement today risks a repeat of the chaotic scenes seen in the Dáil last week.

The leaders of Sinn Féin, Labour, Independent Ireland, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit have written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris this evening to say their proposal to end the row is “entirely unacceptable”.

An informal meeting of the Dáil’s reform committee was held today after a virtual meeting of the committee ended in stalemate last night. 

Today’s meeting also ended without agreement, with Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins telling the media afterwards that the situation is now a “crisis”.