Forming the next Irish Government - policies and personalities

If independent non-ministers are to get opposition speaking rights, shouldn't non-minister members of FFG get the same?

The point of the opposition is to provide debate against govt policies, can you really do that while also being in govt?

Oh dear 🫣😂

Chaos in the Dail. Interesting the rubbish the Opposition is getting irate about.

New one same as the old one

Verona should have just going that second time.

she compromised having been a member of RIG (not particularity re this decision) taking the chair was the mistake.

The Confidence and Supply agreement only Guaranteed FF would abstain on votes involving confidence of the FG/Ind government and the passing of budgets by the govt. No other vote was guaranteed

In theory FF could have voted against the govt on many many other issues. I say "in theory" because as we all know the 2 parties are simply different cheeks to the same bum.

The Indies supporting the govt on this occasion are not opposition TDs as they have a formal agreement to support the government in every vote held for the duration of this Dail.

Conversely the indies supporting the last govt from the opposition benches had no formal agreement with that govt and could, in theory have voted against the govt if they wanted to.

So you can't really compare the previous support govts received from the opposition benches to what is happening today

She is compromised due to having been a member of the same group she is ruling on which is completely different to a party membership and ruling on issues that affect a whole party. This is why she is having such a difficult time today, the chamber and especially the opposition have no respect or trust of her in this situation.

Also this is not the same as the confidence and supply agreement as has been explained above. As I said before they want to have their cake and eat it too which considering some of the individuals involved is rather unsurprising.

The article says that Intel "says the Irish facility - known as a foundry - in Lexilip in Co Kildare, which employs 4,900 people, will be critical to Intel's manufacturing strategy."

What the article doesn't say that Intel is considering a strategic division of the company, possibly selling off the manufacturing arm. A lot of rumours in Kildare about the company.

Another five years of roaring and shouting from the likes of Pearse Doherty and Richard Boyd-Barrett is not going to win them any votes or create the chance of an alternative government. They really need to wake up to the form of defeat they have been given by the people.

But they usually look like they are acting in an independent manner once they take on the role.

The previous Ceann Comhairle was a member of Fianna Fail, I don't recall anyone getting hysterical about that when he was making decisions about Fianna Fail. The idea that she is compromised by that is nonsense. I do get the sense that this is personal from the likes of Paul Murphy and RBB.

As for the opposition speaking time, you can go right back to the Gregory deal in the 1980s to find people who were supporting the government in deals but were considered part of the opposition.

The Regional Independents group isn't a political party, and that is the most important precedent. The likes of Lowry and Heneghan remain independents.

Nonsense if you think they are independents. They are independent in name only. They negotiated as a bloc, they will vote as a bloc. It's time people recognised that some independents are more indpendent than others.

the question is what type of speaking time did Gregory get?