Michael Collins calls Dáil Reform meeting a 'Dáil Dictate'
Michael Collins criticised last night's Dáil Reform meeting as a government stage-set and accused the Chief Whip of turning the process into a "Dáil Dictate" by calling a vote. He said the government is railroading a new Lowry plan and urged fuller engagement with the established Dáil Reform Committee and broader speaking time for members.
The speaker said the meeting was meant to allow all parties to put forward proposals and discuss them, but instead became a staged event when the Chief Whip called a vote. He described the night as turning Dáil Reform into a Dáil Dictate and portrayed the procedure as undermining genuine reform debate.
He noted the vote was seconded by another member of Fianna Fáil and said Ema Currie, Fine Gael, insisted on being listed as seconder for what he dubbed the "Michael-Lowry document." He argued this arrangement granted extra speaking slots to them "as if they are in opposition," and led to a loss of question time.
He recalled the words of Hildegard Nocturne being read into the Dáil record on the 23rd of January, and summarised the government's plan to bring forward a motion to establish the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform. He said the motion is presented as a way to fully engage with the committee and to seek an agreement acceptable to both government and opposition.
He questioned the effectiveness of ongoing talks, saying that while engagement has occurred in good faith, there comes a point when discussion must end. He highlighted current allocations - 8 minutes on a Wednesday, 8 minutes on a Thursday and 6 minutes for a now-priority question - and called to let 60 members of the Dáil air and have their say.
Allegation of a stage-set meeting
The speaker said the meeting was meant to allow all parties to put forward proposals and discuss them, but instead became a staged event when the Chief Whip called a vote. He described the night as turning Dáil Reform into a Dáil Dictate and portrayed the procedure as undermining genuine reform debate.
Seconder and speaking slots
He noted the vote was seconded by another member of Fianna Fáil and said Ema Currie, Fine Gael, insisted on being listed as seconder for what he dubbed the "Michael-Lowry document." He argued this arrangement granted extra speaking slots to them "as if they are in opposition," and led to a loss of question time.
Committee motion and record references
He recalled the words of Hildegard Nocturne being read into the Dáil record on the 23rd of January, and summarised the government's plan to bring forward a motion to establish the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform. He said the motion is presented as a way to fully engage with the committee and to seek an agreement acceptable to both government and opposition.
Concerns about speaking time and member participation
He questioned the effectiveness of ongoing talks, saying that while engagement has occurred in good faith, there comes a point when discussion must end. He highlighted current allocations - 8 minutes on a Wednesday, 8 minutes on a Thursday and 6 minutes for a now-priority question - and called to let 60 members of the Dáil air and have their say.
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Transcript
Honesty, yesterday's meeting of the Dáil Reform meeting was a stage-set event by government politicians present. My understanding was we would all put forward proposals, which we did, as well as the government did, then discuss them, iron out what issues we had and draw up an agreement. But instead of Dáil Reform being Dáil Reform, last night it became Dáil Dictate with the Chief Whip calling a vote a first for Dáil Reform. It was seconded by another member of Fianna Fáil, but in a show of unity to this appalling moment of Irish democracy, Ema Currie, Fine Gael, made sure she got the Fine Gael handprint on this piece of work by stating she was the seconder to this now-dubbed-Michael-Lowry document, giving extra speaking slots to them as if they are in opposition, plus other loss of question time to the teaching. The words of Hildegard Nocturne were read into the Dáil record on the 23rd of January. The government will today bring forward a motion to establish the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform, to fully engage with the committee and to work the secure agreement as soon as possible and acceptable to government and opposition. I know your government are ignoring this by railroading this new Lowry plan. Will you and the T-shirt meet with the leaders of the Opposition to come up with a salute to this question? No, because we have already done that, and we have had a Dáil Reform Committee that has been established, as you rightly said. We had a Dáil Committee that fully engaged, as you rightly said. It was impossible to reach agreement, I accept you, everyone engage in good faith, I am not having a go here. But at some point we actually have to say, we have talked about this as much as we can. It is about 8 minutes on a Wednesday, 8 minutes on a Thursday and 6 minutes on a now priority question. So let 60 members of Dáil air and have their say.