We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
LAST UPDATE | 31 Jan
THE ROW OVER speaking time for Michael Lowry and the Regional Independents will rumble into next week, with no deal reached today after a mammoth meeting.
The failure to reach an agreement today risks a repeat of the chaotic scenes seen in the Dáil last week.
The leaders of Sinn Féin, Labour, Independent Ireland, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit have written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris this evening to say their proposal to end the row is “entirely unacceptable”.
An informal meeting of the Dáil’s reform committee was held today after a virtual meeting of the committee ended in stalemate last night.
Today’s meeting also ended without agreement, with Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins telling the media afterwards that the situation is now a “crisis”.
It is a crisis that we’re in… Deputy Lowry seems to have some severe power over this government.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) January 31, 2025
“He can call whatever shots he wants, the way he wants.” - Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins tells the media.
@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/jVClq2emYT
The opposition are now calling on Micheál Martin and Simon Harris to agree to meet with party leaders in an effort to reach an agreement before the Dáil returns on Wednesday.
Chair of the Dáil reform committee, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy this afternoon attempted to mediate between the opposition side and the government and Michael Lowry, who himself is on the Dáil reform committee.
In a statement, Murphy said it is “regrettable that no consensus or agreement could be reached today”.
She said she is committed to “exhausting every possible avenue”.
The committee has agreed to reconvene on Tuesday, 4 February at midday.
Government chief whip Mary Butler has been leading the talks on the government’s side.
The government’s proposal, which has not been accepted by the opposition, would see Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Danny Healy-Rae recognised as “an informal technical grouping of unaligned members” of the Dáil rather than opposition or government TDs.
The proposal also sets out that standing orders shall be amended to allocate additional time for Leaders’ Questions and Priority Questions for this group, adding that this measure will see no reduction in the allocation of time to any party or group.
“Totally unacceptable.”
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) January 31, 2025
Social Democrats acting leader Cian O’Callaghan has called on the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to “cut all ties” with Michael Lowry.
The SocDems are also of the view that it is time for the party leaders to get back around the table.
@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/ikXqoScbyU
Speaking in Cork earlier today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the issue is more “nuanced” and “complex” than people are suggesting. He said that he was hopeful an agreement would be reached by the committee today.
Speaking to media after the committee meeting ended today, Sinn Féin whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said it is “very clear that the government are determined that Michael Lowry will have Leaders’ Questions… and be treated like a member of the opposition.”
He continued: “Michael Lowry stood on this with seven independent TDs, four of them are now ministers, and he said, ‘We will support this government, on the good days and the bad’ and the government are now trying to tell us and the Irish people that actually he isn’t a government supporter, [that] he’s unaligned.”
He said it is “deeply frustrating” that progress now seems to be regressing.
“We’re actually going backwards. And for some reason, Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are standing by their man, standing by Michael Lowery in defiance of common sense and logic.”
Asked what will happen next week if an agreement is not reached, Mac Lochlainn said he hopes a solution is found before then.
“We’re not thinking at that point right now. But we rule nothing out. We can’t rule anything out. I mean, you have to respect the opposition,” he said.
Ahead of the meeting this morning, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy warned that the opposition are willing to “protest robustly” next week if no agreement is reached.
The Dáil reform committee is meeting again today to try and end the row over speaking rights for the Regional Independents.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) January 31, 2025
After no progress yesterday, Paul Murphy says if it is the same today then the opposition will have no choice but to “protest robustly” next week.
pic.twitter.com/gs05iXhBvV
Asked what this would involve, Murphy said there has not be a discussion yet but that the opposition remain united in their position.
Murphy said the proposal put forward by the government yesterday creates a “fudge” and is “not in tune” with what was provisionally agreed the week before.
Murphy said today that the proposal is a direct contradiction to what was agreed last week.
“To be clear from the opposition side, there is not some attempt to deny Michael Lowry and his group the right to speak. They absolutely should have the right to speak in the Dáil. We have said we’re willing to amend standing orders to say that they can be recognised as a technical group within government,” Murphy said.
In a statement this evening, a spokesperson for Government Chief Whip Mary Butler accused the opposition of holding the Dáil to ransom and said the government parties have entered negotiations in good faith.
The spokesperson said the government is “disappointed” that the opposition chose to dismiss the government’s proposal.
“Our Dáil must be able to function, and we cannot have a repeat of the scenes in the chamber last week, and no individuals should be able to hold the Dáil to ransom.
“The Government is focused on an orderly meeting of the Dáil next week, to address the aftermath of Storm Éowyn and the business that the public expect all of our elected representatives to do,” the spokesperson said.
The Journal has requested comment from Michael Lowry.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
With 5 km travel restrictions and plenty og sunshine this weekend, you will find half Dundalk at Blackrock beach.
If you have only access to one beach or popular place within the allowed radius try to bite on the sour apple and don’t go their. Being their would just more stress than fun.
@8-Bit-Relic: they should stay in there homes instead of going their.
@Tom Fitzgibbons: Should
@Tom Fitzgibbons: if you use the colloquial that would be grammatically correct
@8-Bit-Relic: surprised you didn’t pick up on the there and their
@John Doyle: Tired and over read what auto-correct accepted there…
@8-Bit-Relic: yes, the 5km restriction needs to be fully removed at this stage. We’re the last country to have anything like it in place.
@John Murphy: I agree. The restrictions can’t be monitored effectively and doesn’t reflect the needs of a region. If you want to prevent the spread from a certain region THAT region could be isolated. That would need much less guards as the system we have now.
@8-Bit-Relic: Any chance you could run that by us in a recognised language.
@8-Bit-Relic: I agree with the stress of “going out”. We went to DIY/garden centre yesterday and it was stress city. One worker asked us “can I help you?” while backing up and almost running away because we must have been “too close”. Yet she initiated the conversation and made it incredibly awkward and stressful. I personally think she was too scared to be at work and her supervisor should have had her in a different part of the store where her actions could be in a more controlled space. Makes me think I might stick with online shopping for awhile longer.
Why have we not closed the border with the UK like Canada did with US.
Cavan and Monaghan have very high rate of virus.
@DeWitt: Cavan’s cases are nursing home related. Not so sure about Monaghan, but it was the last county to have a case. Can’t see either county being a hotspot for northern day trippers. Don’t forget that the border works both ways. Supermarket car parks in Enniskillen, letterkenny and Newry are full of southern regs stocking up on cheap booze for the bank holiday
@Anne Marie Devlin: Has Letterkenny moved to Northern Ireland? A trial United Ireland?
@Anne Marie Devlin: Your Letterkenny remark shows how little you must actually know about the border area and how things work.
@DeWitt: welcome to the club.
@Anne Marie Devlin: Do you know where Letterkenny is?
It was noted in the Times today that we are in the top 10 for COVID-related deaths in the EU. However, we are only 13th for deaths in hospitals. No prizes for guessing where the gap is. Nursing homes have been utterly massacred by the decisions forced upon them. So, as temperatures soar and people hope for a little release of normality, we are told to step back in line by government, even though the virus is no longer in the community. All the while, Simon Harris and his colleagues remain completely silent in public regarding nursing homes, where the majority of our deaths have occurred.
Covid-10?.. Someone better tell Simple Simon that Covid-10 is still out there
@a politicians promise is as good as a lie: that insult is so last month …….
Harris is not fit to boil a kettle anymore.
Is that the same Michael D who evicted his student tenants so he wouldn’t have to pay tax on the sale of one of his houses?
@Marg FitzGerald: but he’s a socialist?
The INMO is 100% right to call for an independent inquiry into the high infection rates among healthcare workers. The WHO issued warnings about the need for improved infection prevention control every day since COVID19 was discovered in early January, WHO released technical guidance in January and launched an online COVID19 course for healthcare workers on 26 January that has been taken by over 210k people.
One surprise from NPHET minutes is their acceptance of the medium risk of infection by the ECDC when WHO said the risk was high. Nevertheless, as soon as it was known that this was a coronavirus IFP became the only defence for HCWs. Did someone miss that?
An inquiry need only compare
alerts and advice from WHO and ECDC
with
DoH, HSE and NPHET actions.
Could be done in a week.
@Mick Flynn: agree 100% – unfortunately there is nothing in the the track record of HSE and administrators in this country that would lead me to have confidence that they would do that in a week – i agree it should only take a week but there are the same bunch that are laying out a 15 week reopening and it would take me a week to list all the missed deadlines and things that were suppose to take a week !
Can’t believe no comment on Gardai closing down all outside seating areas in Cafes and garages doing takeout coffees etc
We’re a joke
Politicians are a disgrace to our country
Brits out was never more relevant than now. Greece won’t allow tourists from here. Maybe because they are afraid british people will simply travel there via here?
Local les flics checking vehicles on Straffan Road Maynooth. No mouth protection and patking squad car on bicycle lane on one side and pulling over odd vehicle on other cycle lane! Total keystone cops stuff
have your say