Sinn Féin seeks legal advice after row over regional independents staying in opposition 

'Not only do these so-called independents want the trappings of power, they also want to take away the limited resources afforded to the opposition'

Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, Noel Grealish, Gillian Toole, Michael Lowry, Marian Harkin, Barry Heneghan and Seán Canney at Leinster House in Dublin, after a deal was reached to form the next government, with an agreement finalised between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, and the Regional Independent Group.

Sinn Féin is to receive independent legal advice over plans by the Regional Independent Group to sit on the opposition benches, despite their support for the new government.

There were rows in Leinster House on Thursday after a proposal from the Regional Independents was tabled, where they sought to retain a technical group for opposition speaking time.