Kirk elected as Ceann Comhairle and vows to cut costs

SEAMUS KIRK, a Fianna Fáil deputy for almost three decades, has been elected the new Ceann Comhairle.

Supported by his Government colleagues, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin, Mr Kirk was voted into the speaker’s chair by an overwhelming majority.

Married with four children, Mr Kirk accepted he was taking up an office which was in the midst of reform and he said he would help this process and cut its budget.

“I am by nature progressive and will readily embrace and faithfully implement any change to Dáil procedures made by members themselves through the Dáil Reform Sub-Committee.

“I look forward as incoming chair of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to continue and encourage further modernisation of the parliamentary administration within the current programme of cutbacks already adopted by the commission,” he said.

His constituency colleagues, Fergus O’Dowd, Dermot Ahern and Arthur Morgan, praised him in the Dáil, describing him as a gentleman who had conducted his affairs fairly.

Echoing the jibe of Jackie Healy-Rae to John O’Donoghue two-years earlier, the deputies joked they would look after his constituency affairs in his absence.

Mr Kirk has been guaranteed his seat in the next Dáil. If the Government serves its full term, Mr Kirk will spend his 30th year in the Oireachtas as Ceann Comhairle.

Elected from Louth in 1982, he was promoted to the ranks of junior minister five years later.

However, since 1992 he has failed to secure another promotion, save for his appointment as chairman of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party in 2002.