Guirke and Tóibín locked in a war of words over Dail speaking rights

A war of words has broken out between Meath West TDs Johnny Guirke (SF) and Peadar Tóibín (Aontú) over speaking rights in the Dail.

Deputy Guirke accused the Aontú leader of "debasing himself" for "facilitating the stroke politics of the incoming government," while Deputy Tóibín described Deputy Guirke as the "Fr Stone of Irish politics."

Deputy Guirke made his comments in response to Aontú forming a technical group intended for members of the opposition, with the regional independents who negotiated and now support the Programme for Government.

Deputy Tóibín also came under fire from the Social Democrats with Deputy Leader, Cian O'Callaghan describing the agreement between Deputy Tóibín and the regional independent as an "undemocratic power grab."

Deputy Guirke called on Deputy Tóibín to come out and explain why he is facilitating "stroke politics.

“The disgraceful proposition of the group of so-called independents, who authored and negotiated this Programme for Government, then sitting on the opposition benches is a charade that could not happen were it not for the support of Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.

“It is the job of the opposition to hold the government to account. Technical groups are formed by members of the opposition.

“Yet Peadar Tóibín is debasing himself by forming a technical group with this group of chancers who are not opposition; they have offered up their unflinching support for the incoming government.

"Peadar has leapt into bed with Michael Lowry, Danny Healy-Rae, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole - individuals who negotiated the Programme for Government and have pledged unflinching support for the incoming government.

“Peadar Tóibín was elected on a platform of opposing the status quo but has chosen to facilitate a grubby backroom deal with Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and so-called independents that maintains the status quo.”

“It is completely unprecedented, completely unacceptable, and Peadar Tóibín should explain why he is facilitating it,.” he said,

Deputy Cian O Callaghan said Deputy Toibin should end the charade of Regional Independent TDs masquerading as members of the Opposition by leaving their technical group so its numbers fall below the threshold for speaking rights.

“It is outrageous that Regional Independent TDs, who negotiated a programme for government and intend to wholeheartedly support the incoming administration, are attempting to hijack opposition speaking time in the Dáil.

“This farce could come to an immediate end if Aontú, whose two TDs are in the Regional Independent Group, left that grouping. This would bring the number of TDs in that group below the threshold of five TDs, which secures Dáil speaking rights.

“Peadar Tóibín is ordinarily highly critical of stroke politics and claims to be committed to accountability. Yet, his inaction is facilitating a situation in which de facto government backbench TDs are masquerading as members of the Opposition.

“This is not just an attempt by Independent TDs to have their cake and eat it, it is damaging our democracy and undermines the public’s trust in politics.

“The Social Democrats will be vigorously opposing any attempt by Regional Independent TDs to join the opposition benches. We will be making a joint submission, to the Ceann Comhairle, with other opposition parties outlining the errors in her legal advice. We do not, for example, accept that there is any precedent for this undemocratic power grab by any incoming government.

“However, this is a problem that has a simple and straightforward solution. Deputy Tóibín living up to his rhetoric on accountability and ending this charade today.”

Deputy Toibin said Aontú is completely opposed to this government. "Indeed, we ruled out government formation negotiations with these parties from before the election and we lived up to that commitment after the election. It should be noted that SF, Labour, Independent Ireland and the Social Democrats all left the door open to government with FF and FG."

He pointed out that those not in a technical group have little or no speaking rights. "You have to beg, borrow and steal one minute here and two minutes there to speak. You have no Leaders’ Questions. You have to enter a lottery to question Ministers. You have no committee membership in order to hold Ministers to accounts.

Deputy Tóibín described Deputy Johnny Guirke as being the “Fr Stone” of Irish politics.

"In the last Dáil, Aontú used our speaking rights to better effect than any other political party, holding this government to account on the referendums, increased fuel taxes, the shocking number of children going missing from state care and the collapse of Garda numbers. I have spoken in over 100 committee discussions and Dáil debates in the last year. I have asked 1,060 questions of Ministers in the last year. These figures are well above average among TDs. Johnny Guirke has spoken in the Dáil and in Committees 22 times in the last year and has asked just 59 questions. Johnny Guirke is the “Fr Stone” of Irish politics. Speaking rights may not be important to Deputy Guirke but they are to the people who live in Meath.

"If anyone thinks Aontú will give up our democratic right to hold this government to account, they are very wrong. If anyone thinks that that Aontú is going to give up our hard fought right to represent our constituents in the Dáil, they are very wrong. It is ludicrous for any party to demand that Aontú give up our speaking rights without offering to share their speaking rights with us. Is Mary Lou going to provide Aontú with her Leader's question time, Minister's questions or Committee debate time. Of course not? The simple answer to this is Dáil Standing Orders reform. But it appears that the parties shouting the most are the least likely to seek reform."