Opposition prepares strategy to disrupt vote on speaking rights 

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. File Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

A Dáil walkout appears unlikely on Tuesday but there will be plenty of disruption as the long-running speaking row reignites.

Opposition leaders have met ahead of today's vote on changes to the Dáil's rules which would add new questioning slots to Michael Lowry's Regional Independent Group and government backbenchers.

Following the meeting, it is understood that Mary Lou McDonald, Ivana Bacik, Cian O'Callaghan, Richard Boyd Barrett and Michael Collins have agreed a strategy to prevent the Government pushing ahead with the vote.

While a walkout has not been entirely ruled out during Tuesday's Dáil proceedings - and has been floated as a possibility ahead of the full vote on the proposal on Wednesday - the opposition is said to favour a strategy of disruption.

Ms McDonald said calls had been put in to both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste over the course of the day on Monday and said the two were aware that it was about the request for a meeting with the Opposition.

"It is deeply disingenuous for Government to pretend that they have made any genuine effort to resolve this crisis having failed to respond to our letter, having failed to agree a meeting and having broken their commitment - read into the record of the Dáil not to act unilaterally and force deeply problematic change through the Dáil," the Sinn Féin leader said.

Ms McDonald spoke with Micheál Martin on Monday evening where she expressed to him the "widely held anger at the behaviour of the Government".

Speaking after the phonecall, she said: "It is clear that [the Government] have absolutely no interest in resolving this issue in an agreed way, and it is questionable whether they ever had any intention of doing so."

Ms Bacik also spoke with Mr Martin over the phone, explaining why Labour would not support the Government's proposal and reiterating the need for a meeting with Opposition leaders ahead of the vote.

No official plans for such a meeting had been made on Monday night.

Social Democrats' acting leader Cian O'Callaghan said that while there is no indication the Government intends to back down, it is not too late.

Social Democrats acting leader Cian O'Callaghan. Picture: Leon Farrell/RollingNews

Mr O'Callaghan urged them to do the right thing and attempt to reach a compromise that is agreed to by both sides - as had been promised.

Pushing this motion through without debate would "sour" the relationship between Government and Opposition making it difficult to work together going forward, he said.

It gives the impression that the Government is returning to pre-crash politics and "if the Government has the majority, then that's it", Mr O'Callaghan said.

This was echoed by People Before Profit-Solidarity leader Richard Boyd Barrett who said any disruption in the Dáil is of the Government's own making, accusing them of behaving arrogantly.

The Government is attempting to undermine democracy and "lying to the public about what is at stake" in this row, he said.

Education minister Helen McEntee has defended the plan to go ahead with today's (TUES) vote telling RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne stating its proposals would not take "one second" of speaking time from the Opposition.

Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn accused Ms McEntee of being disingenuous in her statement as the Government proposal would see Taoiseach's questions taking place once a week instead of twice and the time allowed for opposition TDs to object to Dáil business would be halved.