Today in my Leaders’ Questions, I wanted to raise the absolutely desperate situation in Palestine, the Government’s failure to even meet the UN special rapporteur in Leinster House last week and issues such as the special needs crisis, the health workers and so many other issues but today we have to come back to this again because of what happened yesterday. Comments have been made about the unpleasantness of the protest yesterday. I even heard some claims of misogyny which I found extremely cynical from one of the most male-dominated governments on the planet.
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It strikes me that the Ceann Comhairle is a woman who knows her own mind and took a decision yesterday, unfortunately, to co-operate with what was a very co-ordinated move not to allow Order of Business properly, to jettison Questions on Promised Legislation and so on. However, I want to move the focus back on the Taoiseach because he knew that these proposals were opposed by the Opposition and he took a decision to foist them without debate yesterday. What did he think was going to happen? Does he think any of this would have happened if there had been a debate yesterday? Do not forget that in January Deputy Martin was very anxious to get himself elected as Taoiseach and his party stood over there and made a promise to the Dáil that there would be consensus. Nothing would happen without consensus. He broke that promise like we have seen him break promises about the housing figures, on disability funding, free HRT and all the things that were promised before the election. It is important to bring home for the general public what this is actually about. This is the Government removing itself more and more from being challenged in a real way. Journalists are saying the bombs in Gaza are more important than what has happened. Who do you think is going to question the Taoiseach more about the bombs in Gaza?
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Is it the Lowry lackies, the Government, or people who actually care about the Palestine solidarity movement? That is who. Who is more likely to really interrogate the Government on a whole range of issues? This is the Government preparing itself for unpopular decisions that it will have to take on water charges, cost of living, the triple lock, militarisation but today and next Wednesday, instead of Taoiseach’s questions, we will have Michael Lowry questioning the Taoiseach. Michael Lowry, I want to remind the Taoiseach, is the character he is doing all this for, who was found to be profoundly corrupt by a tribunal in a breathtaking fashion. Does the Taoiseach have any qualms whatever doing business with Michael Lowry? This is someone who gave two fingers to the public yesterday and then went and gaslit the population that he did not actually done it. Someone who can lie at the drop of a hat like that – has the Taoiseach any qualms at all about doing business with him? This Government is becoming very good at gaslighting. It is reciting a mantra of “eight minutes”. Why would the Taoiseach die on a ditch over eight minutes?
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He is saying we are making a mountain out of a molehill. This is about him cutting the Opposition’s rights and entitlements to interrogate him.
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Is there any chance of answering the question about Michael Lowry?
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Once again, the Taoiseach deflects completely -----
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-----and does not answer the question about Michael Lowry and doing business with him. Michael Lowry who, as I said, was found by a tribunal to have received payments in the order of at least £180,000 from somebody he gave a mobile phone licence to and who is now a multi billionaire. You do not get more corrupt than that and the Taoiseach has no qualms.
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Taoiseach's questions is being halved.
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Hundreds of Taoiseach's questions will not be asked. For example, personally, in that slot, I have raised repeal when nobody else in this Dáil was interested. I raised trans healthcare and many other topics that there is no way any of the Taoiseach's backbenchers will ask him about. We heard a lot about the terrible plight of the lonely backbencher. My heart was bleeding until I remembered that these backbenchers have direct access and an inside track to Ministers. They frequently organise meetings in constituencies with Ministers to which they do not invite Opposition TDs.
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There is this idea that they are in this terrible position. They can speak at any time should they choose to.
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I want to finish by saying this is in line with anti-democratic measures that parliaments are taking across Europe. They are using their majorities to cut across the right to protest and democratic rights. They are doing it in the UK today cutting welfare rights-----
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You do not respect us.
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Michael Lowry, the question I asked?
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