Dáil finally appoints committees after delay due to speaking rights row

As the largest opposition party, Sinn Féin will chair the powerful Oireachtas committee on public accounts (PAC) as well as six other important committees 

The Oireachtas media committee grilling RTÉ executives in 2023 during the fallout over the handling of hidden payments to RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy. The Dáil vote necessary to appoint the new members to that and other powerful committees was delayed until today due to the row over speaking rights. File picture: Oireachtas TV

The Dáil has finally voted to formally establish Oireachtas committees.

The chamber voted to reject a Sinn Féin amendment to a report on the terms of reference of committees, meaning that the 28 panels can be fully formed, with preliminary meetings set to take place on Thursday.

The formation of committees had been held up due to the long-running speaking time row, which culminated in a confidence vote in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, which the Government won. 

Since then, parties have divvied up committee chair roles and it is understood that clerks have been assigned.

Sinn Féin to chair seven important committees

Sinn Féin will take the chair of the powerful Oireachtas committee on public accounts as well as six other important committees — finance; justice;  disability matters; defence; fisheries and maritime affairs; and public petitions.

Sinn Féin's top picks were finance and justice, while the Government opted for the committee on infrastructure and national development plan delivery. 

Sinn Féin's chairing of the public accounts committ ee is in keeping with long-standing convention as the largest opposition party.

Social Democrats and Labour to chair four committees

The Social Democrats will take on the chairs of the health and drug use committ ees, while Labour will chair the committees on the arts and travelling community.

Meanwhile, former Fine Gael MEP and European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has been elected vice president of the European People's Party (EPP).

Tánaiste Simon Harris has congratulated the Fine Gael politician and former EU Commissioner after she secured the influential role today. Mr Harris said: 

Mairead’s election is a vote of confidence in the Fine Gael party in Europe. 

It is understood Mr Harris had engaged with a list of senior politicians across Europe in recent days including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola and President of the EPP Manfred Weber, in order to win back the vice president seat for Fine Gael. 

Mr Harris added: "Fine Gael has not held a vice presidency position since the election of minister Helen McEntee to the role in 2019. 

"When I was elected leader of Fine Gael last year, I stated that one of my key priorities was increasing Fine Gael’s engagement with the EPP and regaining the vice presidency position within the party.

“Fine Gael is the party of Europe in Ireland. The party was a founding member of the EPP in 1976. 

"Mairead follows in the footsteps of Fine Gael public representatives serving at the highest levels of the EU political infrastructure," he said.

Ms McGuinness is seen as one of the front runners for Fine Gael's nomination for the presidential election later this year.