Regional Independents named 'unaligned members' in bid to break speaking rights deadlock

Independent TD Michael Lowry wants to join the technical group of unaligned members. Picture: Alan Rowlette / RollingNews.ie

The Regional Independent Group of TDs will be declared unaligned and be permitted to question senior Government ministers, as part of a coalition proposal to break the speaking rights deadlock.

The proposal from Chief Whip Mary Butler is to create a new group of ‘unaligned members’, with the group being separate to both the government and opposition.

It has been immediately criticised by the opposition, with one TD saying it would be allowing the Regional Independents to remain as a “faux opposition grouping”.

The row led to lengthy delays in electing Micheál Martin as Taoiseach earlier this month. It stemmed from a move by independent politicians to form a “technical group”, which would give them speaking rights from the opposition benches.

There has been pushback from opposition parties to allow members of the Regional Independents, who agreed to support the Government, to be given these rights.

Dáil rules state that a number of TDs can come together to get similar speaking rights and Dáil time to those afforded to political parties.

Seven TDs from the Independent Regional Group negotiated with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to agree a programme for government and to back the Government throughout its lifetime.

Some of those TDs — Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole — want to join Danny Healy-Rae, and Independent TD Carol Nolan to form the technical group.

Under the new proposal, the unaligned members would not be able to be either a minister or junior minister.

The wording sets out that additional time would be allocated for both leaders’ questions and priority questions.

“There will be no reduction in the allocation of time to any party/group. This will provide for the allocation of time to the informal grouping of unaligned members known as the Regional Group,” the wording reads.

It also proposes a member of the Regional Independents will be able to nominate a member to attend meetings of both the Dáil’s business committee and reform committee.

The wording itself was provided to TDs just minutes before a meeting of the Dáil’s reform committee, which was due to get under way at 3pm.

There was immediate criticism from the opposition over the proposal, with Labour’s Duncan Smith describing it as a “wide distance apart” from the opposition’s plan.

"The Government wording would allow this group to continue as a faux opposition grouping and that's just not acceptable,” said Mr Smith.