TDs angry at ministers’ lack of notice

Disgruntled Fine Gael TDs have complained about newly appointed ministers travelling into their constituencies for public events without giving them notice.

Fine Gael is also facing accusations of trying to change Dáil rules after missing a deadline to nominate a Leas Ceann Comhairle.

The nominations deadline for the role of Dáil deputy chairperson has been postponed until next week as Government chief whip Regina Doherty told the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting last night that a missing email was to blame.

Earlier in the Dáil Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae claimed the postponed deadline was “a dirty start to the Government’s work”, amid claims it was just a way for Fine Gael to get its own nomination on board.

The deadline for nominations was last Friday but opposition party leaders raised concerns yesterday that the matter was not being dealt with this week.

Instead, Ms Doherty told her party last night an email had not been received from the Ceann Comhairle’s office and the deadline had been extended to next week.

Fine Gael TDs Andrew Doyle and Bernard Durkan are two names being linked with the €35,000-a-year post.

Fianna Fáil has nominated Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, Sinn Féin put forward Sean Crowe, while Independent TD Mattie McGrath was also nominated.

Fine Gael TDs also gave out to the party leadership last night about Transport Minister Shane Ross and Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor, who it was claimed, failed to notify Government TDs when participating in events in Athlone and Sligo, Respectively.

A party source said: “It’s tradition. It was an oversight on their part, this is a teething problem and will be sorted from now on.”