Dáil reform enables six Opposition parties and groupings

There will be a total of six Opposition parties and groupings in the 32nd Dáil once proposed parliamentary reforms are implemented early next month.

Powers to increase the number of technical groups in the House, and to lower the requirement for speaking rights, were key recommendations of the Dáil committee on parliamentary reform, which addressed the issues that arose from the uncertain outcome of February’s general election.

Until now, a group or party has had to have a minimum of seven TDs before gaining recognition in the Dáil. The rights acquired include a right to question the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions and a right to priority questions to line Ministers. Another rule stipulated that only one technical group was allowed.

The Dáil reform committee, chaired by Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, recommended that given the substantial rise in the number of Independents and smaller parties, it would no longer be tenable to have just one technical group.

Technical groups

The final report of the ad hoc committee recommends that all parties and groups with five members or more will be entitled to apply for speaking and other rights. It was presented to the Dáil on Thursday.

As a result, it is likely that three technical groups will be formed. The first will involve seven Labour TDs aligning with the two Green Party TDs.

The second will consist of the three Social Democrats TDs and a number of left-wing, and left-leaning TDs, including Clare Daly, Joan Collins, Mick Wallace, Thomas Pringle, Tommy Broughan, Séamus Healy, Maureen O’Sullivan and Catherine Connolly.

The third group will comprise Independents, all from rural constituencies. This group will include Noel Grealish, Michael Healy Rae, Danny Healy Rae, Mattie McGrath and former Independent Alliance member Michael Fitzmaurice. New TD for Clare Michael Harty is also entitled to be a member of the new group under the rules, although he has committed to support the Governments on “confidence and supply” votes.

The three Opposition parties are Fianna Fáil; Sinn Féin and the AAA-PBP group which has six members.

The format of Leaders’ Questions will be changed slightly to accommodate four questions rather than three, with the third and fourth slots rotating between the smaller parties and groupings.

Seanad protocol

Separately in the Seanad, two Independent University Senators have broken away from the traditional NUI-TCD group to be involved in a new grouping.

Lynn Ruane (Dublin University) and Alice Mary Higgins (NUI) have formed a group with Green Senator Grace O’Sullivan and Independent Senator Frances Black and John Dolan.

There three remaining University Senators – Michael McDowell, Ronan Mullen and David Norris – have formed a grouping with two Independents: Gerard Craughwell and Victor Boyhan.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected to announce his 11 nominees to the Seanad early next week.

The sixth University Senator Ivana Bacik is a member of the Labour Party and will take that party’s whip in the Upper House.