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Watch TDs have a huge row about having nothing to talk about

The Dáil is wrapping up early today and the opposition aren’t happy.

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

A ROW BROKE out in the Dáil this afternoon over the government’s decision to wrap up early for the week having run out of legislation to debate.

Opposition TDs slammed the coalition for not putting on more legislation to debate today.

The Dáil has now taken an hour for lunch, will resume for Topical Issues and then break for the week early this evening.

Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy was furious at the decision.

troy

It’s unbelievable to think that we’re going to close this house due to the lack of debate and lack of legislation to come through and I suppose it’s another sign of spin over substance.

Responding for the coalition, the Communications Minister Alex White said that legislation that had been on the schedule had been debated and dispatched with this morning.

He said the debate had finished early because there were no speakers from the opposition benches.

As opposition TDs hit back across the chamber, government chief whip Paul Kehoe became particularly incensed.

kehoe

The Fine Gael TD repeatedly shouted that not one member of the opposition was in the chamber this morning.

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen insisted he had been in the chamber.

cowen

But Cowen was told by White that his performance was “not actually persuading anybody”. The Labour minister added:

The government stands ready to debate these issues, but if there is nobody over there there is not a lot we can do.

Troy insisted he had been at a committee meeting, while Sinn Féin’s Sandra McLellan said she had been present for a debate on childcare legislation.

job

Then her party colleague and a particularly annoyed Jonathan O’Brien chipped in, telling the government:

I don’t know if your Christmas night out is tonight like and you want a half day or what. But there are various [pieces of] legislation coming before this house and you want to go home.

A vote was called, the government won and, a short time later, everybody went to lunch.

Screen Shot 2015-12-03 at 1.28.16 p.m.

WATCH: ‘A cute hoor form of politics’: Enda and Micheál had some strong words in the Dáil earlier

Read: Peter Mathews has just been kicked out of the Dáil again

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90 Comments
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    Mute Irish Genius
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:20 AM

    Why did no Irish media outlet investigate this, it’s a huge issue

    244
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    Mute The Risen
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:54 AM

    @Irish Genius: Because any journalist who tries to hold power to account in this state in any meaningful way gets blackballed e.g. Gemma O’Doherty after she broke the story on Martin Callinan.

    Instead we get spoonfed stories about leos socks.

    245
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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Mar 4th 2019, 1:07 PM

    @Irish Genius: I’d imagine because Ireland’s version of Donald Trump forbid it.

    43
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    Mute Roland D Hay
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    Mar 4th 2019, 8:11 PM

    @The Risen: You mean the Irish Katie Hopkins?
    Really clutching at straws.

    1
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Mar 7th 2019, 12:15 AM

    @Irish Genius: Friends of friends unlike FB lol.

    1
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    Mute Adrian
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:26 AM

    Cue the list (also known as friends of kenny), who will make statements saying they were never lobbied by their “friend” kenny, and thats supposed to make it OK then!

    148
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    Mute Adrian
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:48 AM

    I also think sandberg was playing them, being intentionally extra nice to them when they were supposed to be stern to facebook about their business.

    27
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    Mute Jonny
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:13 AM

    I’ve long said Kenny and the rest of the parasites are rotten to the core, I truly hope someday the truth comes out about what many politicians have done,not to be trusted whatsoever under any circumstances.

    215
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    Mute Milk The Drones
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:24 AM

    @Jonny:
    It wouldn’t be a scandal by Irish standards.
    FG/FF would sell their Granny’s for a touch of US investment. No problem going to court with the EU on behalf of Apple and the annual tradition of cow towing to the US President in the White House every Paddys day. The 51st state and all of that.
    Winky winky backy slappy.
    Proudly promoting cronyism since 1926 with a hearty laugh.

    151
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    Mute Kerry Wynne
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:16 AM

    Of course they would, wouldn’t they? It is not as if there would be a paper trail to uncover what went on.

    67
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    Mute MickN
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:54 AM

    As if they were going to say yes he lobbied us…. FFG Out…

    62
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Mar 4th 2019, 12:54 PM

    Checked the Indo and other online “newspapers” this morning, not a dickiebird about this scandal. Rest assured were it someone remotely connected with SF it would be headline news for a week.

    49
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    Mute Michael Nolan
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:58 AM

    Don’t know what’s all the gasp shock horror for this is the man that sold the country to the lowest bidder ..fn parasite.. .journalism in Ireland haha give me a break…

    95
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    Mute John Kelly
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    Mar 4th 2019, 11:30 AM

    @Michael Nolan: who did he sell us to … I think we still own Ireland last time I looked it up…

    13
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    Mute Michael Nolan
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    Mar 4th 2019, 12:09 PM

    @John Kelly: him and his mate noonan goldman sacs …vulture funds ….did nod off for a decade or 2 ..in a few years you won’t be able to buy a house .have another snooze check back when your proper rested

    64
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Mar 4th 2019, 2:50 PM

    @John Kelly: The way FG have things running, soon enough, there won’t be a brick, a block, or a blade of grass owned by a native Irish person in the country.

    22
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    Mute David Lawlor
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:12 AM

    Sniffs the air cos there’s an awful smell of BS all of a sudden

    96
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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:23 AM

    @David Lawlor: Of course there is. It’s always in plentiful supply here at The Journal.

    36
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    Mute The Risen
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:52 AM

    Once again we have to turn to the UK newspapers to tell us whats happening in this rotten little state. Shameful.

    105
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    Mute John Kelly
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    Mar 4th 2019, 11:31 AM

    @The Risen: no we don’t… it’s a .uk spin pile of shite … rubbish journalism

    9
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Mar 4th 2019, 12:52 PM

    @John Kelly: ‘A UK pile of shyte” based on court papers? The only shyte is what’s coming from FG supporters

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    Mute Squiddley Diddley
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:15 AM

    The ODPC enforces laws. I thought the alleged lobbying was at the law-making level?

    32
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    Mute James Wallace
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:23 AM

    I’m not a fan of Enda Kenny or a supporter, but remember, this report just happens to come out now, from a pro Brexit anti Irish source. I’ll wait and see how it develops before I condemn Kenny on this issue. There has never been anything in his career to indicate he’s corrupt so even if he did do he most likely was thinking of jobs for the country, like he’s supposed to do.. If it happened, it’s a misjudgenent on his part, but in the interest of fairness let’s wait and see.

    33
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    Mute Brendan Greene
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:29 AM

    @James Wallace: The Observer is a left-wing decidedly anti-Brexit newspaper with a high reputation for accuracy.
    Incidentally, it is also generally sympathetic towards Ireland.

    91
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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Mar 4th 2019, 10:31 AM

    @James Wallace: Report actually comes out of Court documents in California, It`s not made up by an pro Brexit and anti Irish source though.
    Unless you are privy to info the rest of us aren`t.

    86
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    Mute MickN
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    Mar 4th 2019, 1:31 PM

    @Brendan Greene: James just got schooled…

    17
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    Mute Martin Brennan
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    Mar 4th 2019, 11:18 AM

    Of course not blueshirts

    22
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    Mute Peter Coen
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    Mar 4th 2019, 11:47 AM

    If it quacks like a duck,and walks like a duck, ITS A DUCK.

    34
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    Mute Martin Brennan
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    Mar 4th 2019, 1:44 PM

    Of course not blueshirts never would they seek to influence

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    Mute tweetforjunk
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    Mar 4th 2019, 11:24 AM

    Well in fairness he did say ‘categorically’ so he must be telling the truth.

    15
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    Mute Peter Cooper
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    Mar 4th 2019, 11:19 AM

    It would be very hard to ask him anytime now he never in work if I don’t go to work I don’t get paid

    15
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    Mute Ronaldo Blanc
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    Mar 4th 2019, 4:18 PM

    He was always alittle weasel cosying up to the Yanks and acting like Darby O Gill in the White House on Paddy’s Day.

    19
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    Mute Brinster
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    Mar 4th 2019, 7:51 PM

    @Jonathan Beatty:

    “If he were innocent…”

    Fair play Jonathan.

    Get the slander in immediately.

    5
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