This motion of no confidence in the Ceann Comhairle is a response to a concerted and co-ordinated plan by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael; a plan to run roughshod over the democratic rules of the Dáil for their own political gain.

Sentiment score: 0.74

Last Tuesday, not alone did the Ceann Comhairle put herself at the centre of that Government plan, she led the charge.

Sentiment score: 0.19

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. The Ceann Comhairle actively and enthusiastically fulfilled the bidding and the aims of the Government, acting, not as the impartial Chair of the Dáil, but more like a loyal Minister under political instruction from the top.

Sentiment score: 0.69

She was acting as the Government's Ceann Comhairle, signed, sealed and delivered by Michael Lowry. What we witnessed was an unrivalled partisan display. The Ceann Comhairle forced through the Government agenda, showing blatant disrespect and contempt for the mandate of the combined Opposition. In forcing through the Government's plan, Verona Murphy took a wrecking ball to the long-established democratic procedures of the Dáil and ripped up the rule book that underpins its functioning. This marked a fundamental departure from established practice, making a mockery of the oath taken by the Ceann Comhairle on assuming office. Political clashes, robust debate and raised temperatures are all part and parcel of parliamentary politics. We are all used to such battles in this Chamber. However, the Dáil has always functioned through agreement by ensuring that Opposition views, objections or dissent to the content of Dáil business is respectfully given its rightful place. This is not a mere technicality. This is fundamental to how Opposition holds the Government to account for its priorities, legislative agenda and its failures and shortfalls in addressing public need. It is also, crucially, how we endeavour to ensure political balance so that the Dáil does not become a token platform for the Government to railroad through its agenda but rather a place where those elected by the people exercise our duty to keep those in power in check through fair, honest and open debate. It is how accountability is ensured and the interests of the people are protected. Last Tuesday, the Ceann Comhairle not only undermined that democratic understanding, she demolished it. In quick succession, she made three decisions exposing bias, doing things in her power and, frankly, outside of her power, to ram through the Government's objective of changing the rules of the Dáil to suit themselves. First, she failed to hold a vote to agree Dáil business when a vote was called. The call of "Vótáil" is clearly audible in the Oireachtas footage of proceedings, and a division should have been called as a result. However, the Ceann Comhairle ignored this call, dug in and proceeded to shut down the Opposition. Second, the Ceann Comhairle chose to cancel Questions on Policy or Legislation. The claim that this decision was made because of continued disruption in the Dáil is demonstrably not true. The claim is clearly contradicted by the official Oireachtas video, which shows that at the resumption of business following a 30-minute suspension, there was no disruption in the Dáil. The Ceann Comhairle was simply hell-bent on rushing ahead to get the Government's plan over the line. Dáil business was dispensed with to achieve the Government's desired outcome. Third, the Ceann Comhairle failed to put the Government motion to change Dáil rules to a vote. Such was the haste to pass the Government motion, the Ceann Comhairle inadvertently moved the Opposition amendment only. At no point did she put the Government's substantive motion to a formal vote. In her eagerness to get the job done for Micheál Martin, Simon Harris and Michael Lowry, the Ceann Comhairle declared the Government motion to be passed - a motion on which there was no vote. That is astonishing. All of this was done to cheers of approval and a chorus of encouragement from the Government benches. The only holy show on display was the shameless co-ordination and co-operation between the Ceann Comhairle and the Government. It was brazen, arrogant and on display for all to see. All of this is very serious. Such behaviour was not seen in any previous Dáil. It is change for the worse and deeply destructive. It is a change designed and orchestrated by the Taoiseach and the Government. The failures of the Ceann Comhairle last week raised questions about the legitimacy and legal standing of the business conducted in the Dáil because the rules of the House have not been legitimately changed. Therefore, the farce of Other Members' Questions, scheduled to commence tomorrow, has no standing. The credibility of the Dáil and the democratic underpinnings of this Parliament have been undermined by the actions of the Ceann Comhairle at the behest of the Government. To ignore this reality would make a mockery of our mandate and take the people for fools. The Ceann Comhairle's position is untenable. Surviving a vote on this motion will not change that fact. The role of Ceann Comhairle demands that whoever occupies the office be impartial, fair and independent. You cannot be a fair, impartial, independent chairperson of the Dáil, having thrown out the democratic rule book to force through whatever Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil want. If you cast aside the need for balance and the rights of the Opposition and our mandates, to do the bidding of Government, we in opposition would be doing the people of Ireland a grave disservice were we to lie down and accept such a farce. The actions of the Ceann Comhairle have been neither impartial nor independent; quite the opposite. The credibility of the Ceann Comhairle lies in tatters. She has lost the confidence of the Opposition. For the Ceann Comhairle to fulfil their duties, they must enjoy the confidence of both the Government and the Opposition. An Teachta Murphy does not and must go. Tá an Ceann Comhairle tar éis a léiriú lena gníomh nach bhfuil sí cothrom, neamhchlaonta nó neamhspleách. An tseachtain seo caite, chuir sí rialacha daonlathacha na Dála faoina cosa chun plean an Rialtais a chur i gcrích chun an socrú suarach leis an Teachta Lowry a chosaint. Tá praiseach déanta aici de mhuinín an Fhreasúra go léir. Caithfidh sí imeacht. Cui bono? Who benefits? It must be remembered that all of this is rooted in the grubby deal struck between Micheál Martin, Simon Harris and Michael Lowry, a deal in which Deputy Lowry led and marshalled a group of so-called Independent TDs into the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael camp to form a Government. The Lowry group of TDs negotiated, helped to write and agreed the programme for Government. Four of their number assumed ministerial office. They designated themselves as Government TDs by their own actions. The dogs on the street know that they are in the Government camp. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste sought to orchestrate a delusion that they were members of the Opposition. We have said many times - I will say it again - that you simply cannot be in government and in opposition at the same time. However, this is the very farce that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael want to ram through to protect their grubby deal with Michael Lowry. What is in this deal? The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have been very coy on this point, so we have to rely on Deputy Lowry himself to tell us, in his own words. This is what he had to say in an interview with Tipperary Live in January. He makes it clear that putting Verona Murphy in as Ceann Comhairle was key to the deal. He said: I felt it was a good political move to make to put forward Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle, and that was really an important and decisive moment because I felt that once she was elected as Ceann Comhairle, and there had to be a lot of political manoeuvring to make that happen but once she was elected as Ceann Comhairle, then that put our regional group in the driving seat for discussions on the formation of a Government. He went on to say: I've been working, first of all to get Verona Murphy elected [as Ceann Comhairle], and then to prepare our group's policy position and policy platform in readiness for negotiations, and then we started negotiations, I was the lead negotiator with relation to that. I think we achieved a fantastic result for our group, in that we had a Ceann Comhairle, two Super Junior Ministers, and two Junior Ministers. There you have it, direct from the horse's mouth. The grubby deal.

Sentiment score: -0.01

There were also a raft of junior Ministers with big pay hikes, more super junior Ministers and, of course, the prized position of Ceann Comhairle to boot. Nobody with any respect for the position of Ceann Comhairle would ever have been party to such a disgraceful arrangement. A deal was struck by Micheál Martin and Simon Harris with Michael Lowry, a man whose actions the Moriarty tribunal found to be "profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking". The Taoiseach once described him as a rogue politician and called on him to resign his seat, but he is now the kingmaker of this coalition. It is a grubby deal that places Michael Lowry's demands above even the democracy of the Dáil and the proper functioning of Parliament. It is a grubby deal that has been prioritised by this Government over the formation of Oireachtas committees, over the imperative to debate and pass laws, and over the need to address big issues affecting workers and families. All of this might again beg the question; what does Michael Lowry have over Micheál Martin-----

Sentiment score: 0.15

-----or Simon Harris, for that matter? What debt is owed to him that the Taoiseach is willing to tear down the integrity of the Dáil just to keep him sweet? We know that providing him with access to the main platform where the Opposition holds Government to account was part of this grubby deal. Tomorrow, the Government plans the ludicrous spectacle of Lowry group of TDs standing up after Leaders' Questions to question the Government that they support and they designed and delivered. Of course, Micheál Martin was adamant that this was about ensuring fair speaking time for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backbenchers. That bubble has truly burst. This is not about backbenchers. It never was. This is about Michael Lowry. The reality is the Lowry group of TDs get four times more speaking time than Fianna Fáil backbenchers. Just as Micheál Martin spent his first term as Taoiseach throwing Fianna Fáil Ministers under the bus to protect his deal with Fine Gael, in his second term he now throws Fianna Fáil backbenchers under the bus to protect his grubby deal with Michael Lowry.

Sentiment score: 0.21

The Taoiseach has claimed that the Dáil will never be the same again. I agree, but that is not because the Opposition is standing our ground. It is because of his underhanded manoeuvres to rig the Dáil and stack the Opposition in his favour. That is the threat faced here, which certainly has some resonance with events elsewhere in the world. If people ever wonder why Governments come and go but nothing really improves for working people, they have their answer here in a nutshell. The insider deals and the cosy club are the reason so many people cannot afford a roof over their heads, our hospitals are overcrowded and overwhelmed, children with special needs are locked out of services and education, and families struggle to make ends meet. These deals preserve the status quo and ensure that workers and families are pushed to the back of the queue. This is the deal that the Ceann Comhairle moved heaven and earth to defend last Tuesday. It is the very deal that secured her position. The reality is that it was Michael Lowry who ensured she would become Ceann Comhairle. In her acceptance speech, an Teachta Murphy openly acknowledged Michael Lowry's efforts, identifying him as the person who first approached her to seek the office of Ceann Comhairle. Despite deep reservations, she was given a fair wind when she assumed that office, but last Tuesday our worst fears were realised. She became the Government's Ceann Comhairle. Michael Lowry gave two fingers to the Irish people; we will not accept the Ceann Comhairle doing the same. The Ceann Comhairle is not fair, impartial or independent and cannot stay. The Ceann Comhairle must go.

Sentiment score: 0.02

A disgrace.

Sentiment score: -0.49

Housing is one.

Sentiment score: 0.00

Are you pointing at me?

Sentiment score: 0.00

Do not point at me.

Sentiment score: 0.00

They want housing.

Sentiment score: 0.08

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that in order for the Ceann Comhairle to fulfil her obligations as set out under Standing Order 10, she must retain the confidence of both Government and Opposition members; and further notes that the Ceann Comhairle no longer retains the confidence of opposition TDs of this House.".

Sentiment score: 0.12

On our amendment.

Sentiment score: 0.00