Verona Murphy last night comfortably won a confidence vote in her role as Ceann Comhairle, with the Taoiseach warning that "extreme rhetoric" was now entering the Irish political landscape.
The confidence vote – which Ms. Murphy won by 96 to 71 – came after the Opposition declared that they had lost faith in her ability to impartially run the Dáil during the running battle over speaking rights last week.
Ms. Murphy said after she won the confidence vote: "It is regrettable that the matter of speaking rights was unable to be resolved by consensus, despite 20 hours of full and frank discussion on the matter [and] despite my earnest efforts to mediate.
"It goes without saying that in the absence of consensus 'those dissenting' are bound to be unhappy. In conclusion, I wish to assure all members on all sides of this house, I bear no ill will, and my door is always open."
She added: "I will continue to uphold my solemn declaration to vindicate the rights of all members and administer the rules chosen by members of this house, impartially and fairly, alongside the independent loyal and hard-working staff of my office."
'I bear no ill will and my door is always open,' Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy tells the Dáil after confidence motion passes by 96 votes to 71 | Follow live: https://t.co/PRXjYukaKS pic.twitter.com/HGYwUR9P4S
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 1, 2025
Speaking for the Government during Tuesday's debate in the Dáil, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the confidence debate was the "sad culmination" of an escalating, two-month campaign of "aggression and disruption" by much of the Opposition.
"The arsonists are demanding that we censure the fire brigade," he said.
Ms. Murphy was not present for the debate, with Michael Lowry, the man at the centre of the Opposition’s ire, only turning up briefly to hear some of the Government’s opening remarks before exiting the Dáil chamber.
Mr. Martin also claimed he had been told by a number of new deputies that they have been ‘subject to verbal abuse’ by supporters of certain Opposition parties.
"This has been made worse by the refusal of Opposition leaders to restrain their members and call for basic civility," he said.
The Fianna Fáil leader criticised what he said was the "extreme escalation" in the rhetoric deployed in debating every issue.
He also criticised the Labour and the Social Democrats, saying: "It is extremely sad that two parties which claimed to the electorate that they were centre left have been full participants in Sinn Féin’s cynical strategy of escalating rhetoric disruption."
Tánaiste Simon Harris said the scenes in the Dáil last week were "utterly embarrassing," adding: "We are letting ourselves collectively down."
Meanwhile, the Opposition zoned in on the behaviour of Michael Lowry, the Tipperary North TD. Multiple TDs, including Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, cited the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.
They said it found that Mr. Lowry was "profoundly corrupt to a degree that is breathtaking" and reminded the chamber the Taoiseach once described Lowry as "a rogue politician," and "had called on him to resign his seat yet now he is the kingmaker of this Coalition."
She said Ms. Murphy’s behaviour in the Dáil last week was a "frankly breathtaking" display of bias in helping the Government ram through the vote to amend standing orders to allow for Michael Lowry and his Independent TDs to ask questions of Government ministers, despite supporting the Government.
"In an unprecedented – and frankly breathtaking – display of bias, the person charged with safeguarding and preserving democracy in this house, helped to tear it apart," she added.
🚨 Watch this! Mary Lou gets right to the heart of the FF/FG grubby deal with Michael Lowry. The deal the Ceann Comhairle moved heaven and earth to protect last week. The deal that secured her own position. This is all about the cosy club looking after their own. The Ceann… pic.twitter.com/zANbKtA48N
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) April 1, 2025
Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik said that while they would lose the vote, they had "won the argument" and remarked the well was "well and truly poisoned" by the Government over how it handled the issue.
Government TDs focused on what they said were the more serious matters of the impending Trump tariffs that are due to be announced today while the Opposition focused on the behaviour of Ms. Murphy in the Dáil last week, as well as Mr. Lowry and his past behaviour.
Culture Minister Patrick O’Donovan said the scenes in the Dáil chamber last week were like something on "Harcourt Street at 3 am in the morning."
Cian O’Callaghan, deputy leader of the Social Democrats, also pointed to the behaviour of Mr. Lowry, saying he had "pocketed’ £34,500, which had been "designated by Dunnes as Christmas bonuses for his workers."
"Judge Michael Moriarty said this was one of Lowry’s 'most reprehensible' actions," he said.
"Those on the Government benches would clearly prefer to forget the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal, but they bear repeating. It found that Lowry, then minister for communications, delivered the State’s second mobile phone licence for the businessman Denis O’Brien."
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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