Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)

In my maiden speech in December, I emphasised how I am a young woman who prides myself on breaking down barriers for women in worlds traditionally dominated by men. Verona Murphy, too, has done that as the first female Ceann Comhairle of this House. She had a chance to dispense with the old boys' club, the back-room deals, the wink-and-nudge politics and, indeed, the stroke politics. She had a chance to steer the ship straight and avoid partisan decisions, as her position demands her to do, but, regrettably, she chose not to do so. I have prided myself throughout my career on being able to work with everyone across political divides, always seeking what is the common good and not being driven by partisan views or political point scoring. I can stand over everything I say and do here, and previously as a member of Louth County Council, as being for the common good.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the running of this House, what the Ceann Comhairle has said and done so far has only been in service to the deal the Lowry grouping of Independent TDs made with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, which made her the Ceann Comhairle. It did not have to be so. She had a chance to prove she was truly impartial, that she was a fit Ceann Comhairle and that the suspicions around the deal that put her in her position were unfounded. This was not done. Deputy Murphy all but confirmed everybody's suspicions last week when instead of taking the chance to stamp her authority and show she is truly independent, in what looked like a co-ordinated move between her and the Government, she put aside the rules of this House and sledgehammered through the Government's interests. To compound the fact the Ceann Comhairle sided with the Government and disrespected the Opposition, when her office was contacted by Opposition Whips on the matter, they were ignored. Also ignored was the video evidence that showed last week's vote was not conducted correctly, with her office sticking to the line that everything was done in accordance with the rules of the House.

Every move around speaking time in this Chamber has been in service to Michael Lowry and his group, with Government backbenchers thrown in as an afterthought. It should not and does not need to be this way. We could have worked together, Opposition and Government representatives, at the Dáil reform committee to come to an arrangement that suited all, as was committed to by the Government, and ensure everyone had speaking time from the correct side of the House. However, Deputies opposite brought the guillotine down on that, enabled by the Ceann Comhairle. In doing the Government's bidding, she has lost the confidence of the combined Opposition. While we all know the outcome of this motion, she has a mammoth task ahead of her to rebuild the confidence and respect she needs to fulfil her duties. In the meantime, the office of the Ceann Comhairle remains compromised.

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