Tag: Dáil procedure

A row erupted on the eve of the Dáil Summer recess. This row was not a procedural row and the anger of many was real as the Govt , Including ALL of the Green party voted to relegate the voices of opposition in the Dail; it wasn’t about speaking time; that remains the same. It was about ensuring the opposition in smaller parties are pushed down the order and ignored by media and press.

It is truly shocking that while ordinary people are held to account for their behaviour, TDs can avoid sanction in the Dáil, even when they’re caught rapid. For instance, voting twice for a citzen can get you €2000 fine or 2 years in jail. And dodgy voting in the Dáil isn’t the only crime. What about the 50 odd progressive Bills that are held up on spurious grounds, and we suffer as a result – Bills on housing, health, climate action. And they call this democracy?

If a citzen votes twice its prison or a fine. 50,000 unemployed people were sanctioned by Seetec and Turas Nua for not ‘being there’ for an appointement. But politicians are supposed to ‘be there’ for a vote, and vote only once. Why aren’t policiticans who don’t show or vote twice, fined, at the very least?

 

THE PRIVELEGED DEFEND THEIR PRIVELEGES. It might seem a technical issue but its actually important that people like Paul Murphy can use Dáil privelege to tell the truth about being ‘fitted up’ at his trial. The really ‘elite’ don’t want to see ‘Dáil privelege’ used in this way. I explained why on the Drivetime radio programme on RTE the other day.