Kehoe: Opposition parties will have more influence over legislation now

Former Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe has said that the Opposition will have more influence than ever over legislation that is debated in the Oireachtas.

Mr Kehoe, who served as the Chief Whip in the last coalition Government,

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and his newly appointed ministers will rely on the support of Independent TDs, and the abstention of Fianna Fáil in order to pass bills through the Dáil.

Minister of State at the Department of Defence Kehoe said the last Government had the luxury of huge majority, and therefore was able to pass a significant amount of new laws.

"We were able to pass a huge amount of legislation over the past few years, but that will be one of the problems I feel over the next number of years is channelling legislation through the Oireachtas, where the Opposition will have more of an input now into legislation than what they would have had in the past," he said.

"But it's something that we have to deal with."