The Ceann Comhairle was elected by secret ballot by a majority of Members. She is the first woman to hold this office.

Sentiment score: 0.00

It is already easy to forget that one of her first duties was to chair the election of a Taoiseach. The people who took a wrecking ball to process in this House sit on the opposite benches. Getting down to the business of last week, it is difficult, as anybody here can testify to the fact, for the public to appreciate the visceral and toxic atmosphere pervading the Chamber last week and to wonder why violent protest might take place on our streets. Members opposite have made much today, as have commentators who were not in the Chamber on the day, either in these seats or in the press gallery, that calls for votes and proposals for amendments were clearly audible on playback. Nothing was audible in this Chamber last Wednesday, just as nothing was audible on the day we gathered to vote to elect a Taoiseach. Even the most reasonable Member of the Opposition has not apologised or expressed regret for the behaviour on either of those two occasions.

Sentiment score: -0.09

It is almost 100 years since W.B. Yeats rebuked the audience in the Abbey, berating them saying, "You have disgraced yourselves once again."

Sentiment score: -0.23

Those words came to mind last week. While the tagline "You cannot be in Government and the opposition at the same time" is an easy and actually lazy chant-----

Sentiment score: 0.05

-----and this point was made in the Dáil reform committee, it does not reflect our evolving democracy. The truth of these episodes is Ireland elects a disproportional number of independents by international comparison. In other parliaments, there are cross-benchers; those who waive the designation of opposition or government and choose to be designated as other. There are Deputies who wish to be in this new grouping who voted against the Government on more occasions than they have supported the Government. This started five years ago with, "Not my Taoiseach". It continued again in January with we will obstruct the democratic decision of this House and the election of a Taoiseach. It has continued with we will make this place unworkable. These are not the ways to build confidence and these are not the ways to build an accountable Chamber or a more collaborative parliament.

Sentiment score: 0.19