Micheál Martin

In respect of what by any yardstick-----

-----is a very modest rebalancing -----

-----where you get eight minutes on a Wednesday, eight minutes on a Thursday.

It is a joke.

First, I stand over the Government’s record on Gaza. I do not accept the Deputy’s criticism on that.

We have been very clear in our condemnation of Israeli violence in Gaza-----

-----and equally of our condemnation of Hamas's atrocity on 7 October, something which the Deputy and her colleagues have never condemned which I think is a shame and a stain on you that you have never condemned what was an appalling slaughter of the innocents. It is noticeable that you have always refused to do that. Look at this morning. We have had Leaders’ Questions from whom? From Deputies M…

The public will see all of this over the coming weeks. This is feigned outrage. It is very modest, the Deputy is correct. The Deputy asked a question. I am not dying in any ditch. I think it is a reasonable, balanced solution which took about 20 hours.

By the way, the commitment of the former Chief Whip was to engage fully with the Dáil reform committee and to work to secure an agreement as soon as possible that was acceptable to the Government and Opposition. Not just Opposition but to the Government as well-----

-----as regards formation of technical groups and the rights of unaligned Members.

I have said the precedents that have been set by the Opposition of this Dáil will be very hard to overturn in future Dáileanna.

I think this situation is a new departure. I will say why because the Deputies are going through the various procedures which a Ceann Comhairle was meant to do. The Ceann Comhairle, in my view, repeatedly asked Sinn Féin to table its amendment and it refused to do so.

I was there; I witnessed it. Four times. The point I am making is this. If it is the tactic-----

I was here yesterday and I endeavoured to respond to Deputy McDonald and, in an organised manner, the Sinn Féin Deputies in particular conspired to make sure that my voice could not be heard. The same thing happened to the Ceann Comhairle by any objective observation.

The Ceann Comhairle stood up on a number of occasions. All of you were barracking, shouting, intimidatory behaviour, aggression. Deputy Doherty - there was naked aggression from you in your approach and posture.

That is what I witnessed yesterday. It is form for you, too, by the way.

That is very regrettable-----

-----in my view and it is a precedent that has been set. It cannot be opposition by veto. This House cannot be run on the basis that if the Ceann Comhairle of the day, whatever Ceann Comhairle -----

-----does not agree with the Opposition's perspective or approach then the Ceann Comhairle loses the confidence of the Opposition.

This is not a normal Dáil. That is the precedent that is being set. I saw yesterday Sinn Féin in particular endeavouring to prevent procedures from being implemented, processed and properly followed through.

The Ministers of State, Deputies Harkin, Grealish and Canney, and Deputies Toole, Heneghan, Nolan and McGrath - who have voted against the Government by the way-----

Yes, and Deputy Lowry. I will just make the point that the only name that comes from you is Deputy Lowry, not the others. There is a problem there.

We need as a Dáil to respect the mandate of every Deputy in this House.

What I have witnessed over the last while is a very deliberate attempt to undermine the rights of certain Independents.

There are other Independents, by the way. Other Independents need to be facilitated as well, in my view. That was part of what was meant to be in the facilitation of non-aligned TDs. By the way, many Opposition TDs come to meet me on different issues or they will raise issues with me. I will always try to respond, as do Ministers.