'The Dáil is an absolute disgrace'.... Toole rounds on 'bullies' after Ceann Comhairle survives no confidence motion
"In effect, what I have experienced in the past four months has been nothing other than an attempt to bully and harassment by way of name calling, shouting, body language and references to lackeys, underlings, lads and, to top it all today, a reference to being intellectually inferior. How dare Members on that side of the House do so?"
Meath East TD, Gillian Toole hit out at how she has been described in recent weeks after agreeing to support the Government along with her Regional Indepedent Technical Group headed by Michael Lowry. The upheaval caused by the speaking rights row has effectively paralysed the Dail for the last three months.
The Government won a vote of confidence in the Ceann Comhairle on Tuesday evening.
They brought the motion after opposition parties initially proposed a no confidence motion in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy amid the heated row based on speaking rights and the circumstances of the formation of the coalition.
The Government motion expressing that the Dáil has confidence in the Ceann Comhairle passed by 96 votes to 71, with two abstentions.
Before Tuesday’s vote, Taoiseach Micheál Martin accused opposition parties of engaging in “cynical strategies of aggression and disruption”.
Mr Martin said it was “profoundly regrettable” the vote was being held, adding there was no justification for the motion.
Yesterday's debate saw significant input from Meath TDs.
Speaking after the debate, Deputy Gillian Toole addressed the Dail:
"I will be guided by the Clerk of the Dáil as to whether due process has been followed by the Ceann Comhairle since December 2024. The advice that was issued was that she did follow due process. For that reason, I support her in her office. I was elected to the House to work on behalf of the constituents of Meath East, to find and provide solutions to the serious challenges facing Ireland and her people, and I was happy to contribute to the programme for Government to that end.
"In December, I received a dignity and respect document from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, as I am sure did all colleagues. In effect, what I have experienced in the past four months has been nothing other than an attempt to bully and harass by way of name calling, shouting, body language and references to lackeys, underlings, lads and, to top it all today, a reference to being intellectually inferior. How dare Members on that side of the House do so?
"The Ceann Comhairle could not hear anything last week because of the volume of noise in this Chamber. It is a situation whereby people outside of the political bubble in this Dáil are furious. I have been talking to people in my constituency and, for most people, it is a curse on all our houses over this current situation. The Dáil is an absolute disgrace.
"All of that makes me question the basic functioning of this Dáil. On each occasion there has been an ignoring of the requests of the Ceann Comhairle and what is set out in the dignity and respect document, which represents the very basic foundation of how we are to behave in the House, this behaviour happened when children were in the Gallery.
"The word that was shouted was "shame". Well, have a look at where the shame should lie."
Deputy Peadar Toibin was repeatedly asked by fellow Meath West TD, Johnny Guirke about his part in the process.
Aontú resigned from the Regional Independents Technical Group, which includes government-supporting TDs in January, in order to join the Independent Technical Group amid a row over speaking rights.
"There is not a committee functioning in this Dáil at the moment," said Deputy Toibin. "No wonder we cannot build a hospital in this country without the prices ballooning out of control. No wonder there is not a house for a young person, and that young people have to emigrate to actually get a house. It is beyond time that we cop on to ourselves in this Chamber and see can we work to fix those issues. This issue has eclipsed the biggest existential economic threats to this economy, which are the tariffs, in the past number of weeks. We dearly need to listen to the people outside of this bubble, and we need to cop on to ourselves fast."
"What about your part in it?" asked Deputy Johnny Guirke.
"Deputy Guirke spoke for one hour last year in the whole year," responded Tóibín before being asked again, this time by Dublin West TD, Deputy Ruth Coppinger: "What about your part in it?"
Deputy Helen McEntee and Minister for Education said she stood in support of this motion of confidence in the Ceann Comhairle.
"It is hugely regrettable that we are faced with this situation in the House this evening - a motion that has come about because of the prolonged attempts by Opposition to obstruct this Dáil and the Government from getting on with their business.
"Every single Member of this House was democratically elected back in November. This Government, albeit with the attempt by the Opposition to obstruct us, was democratically elected and we have had a fair election of our Ceann Comhairle, who now needs to be let get on with her business.
"Never has it been the case, in 106 years, that the Ceann Comhairle has had the support of every single Member of this House, so to suggest otherwise is a complete falsehood. We need to make sure that we respect the democratic mandate of this House and the people who elected us.
The scenes in this House, as everybody has alluded to, from the very beginning but in particular last week, have been unedifying for anybody I spoke to. Unfortunately, we all got balled in with the same accusations.
"There was roaring, shouting and bawling, which are the only words that can accurately describe what was happening on the Opposition benches. It was grandstanding and obstructing business, which did nothing to make sure we focused on the issues of the day and the issues that people had elected us on."
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