dublinstreams: 08/01/2017

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Dail speaking and Legislation Time

Whats going on?

Micheál Martin seeks cut to small parties Fiachra Ó Cionnaith October 27, 2016 Irish Examiner

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has called for key speaking rights for smaller parties to be cut, despite the move being central to Dáil reforms sought by his party after the general election.

FF deputies complain about Ceann Comhairle in speaking row Philip Ryan Indpendent 20/11/2016

Eamon Ryan was complaining about speaking time in the Dail 2016-11-08

"There is a danger that on Thursday we will not have the same speaking rights that we have today, if the Government and Fianna Fáil plans, working together, are agreed."

Green Party: Fianna Fáil’s commitment to political reform has come to an end Eamon Ryan 26th October 2016

"Independent analysis shows that overall speaking times are allocated to parties on a proportional basis, with bigger parties having the advantage of speaking first. Now they want to go further by cutting the speaking time for the smaller parties. That would restrict debate in an attempt to return us to an old two-party system that has had its day."

What independent analysis?

Oliver Moran The Green Party Spokesperson on political reform told me it was 'analysis was carried out by the Office of Clerk of the Dáil and it was referred to during a previous Dáil reform committee meeting.'

but hasn't spoken about it since.

A motion publishsed 14-11-16 for changes of Dail standing orders reducing time by 10 minutes of speeches at second stage was agreed.

That, in accordance with the recommendation of the sub-Committee on Dáil Reform under Standing Order 107(1)(a), the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business be amended in Standing Order 148 as follows:With effect from 15th November, 2016 (and only in respect of Bills which commence their second reading on or after that date), in paragraph (2) of Standing Order 148, to delete all words from ‘shall not exceed thirty minutes’ down to and including ‘not exceed twenty minutes.’, and substitute the following:

‘shall not exceed 20 minutes: Provided that where the Business Committee is of the opinion that in respect of a particular Bill, the time for each speech in this first round should be extended by a certain amount, it shall include a proposal to that effect in its report under Standing Order 27C(3).

The speech of any other member in the course of the debate shall not exceed 20 minutes.’.

Standing Orders of the Dail Houses of the Oireachtas

Standing Orders: Motion Dáil Éireann - 29/Nov/2016

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Regina Doherty): I move:
That, in accordance with the recommendation of the sub-Committee on Dáil Reform under Standing Order 107(1)(a), until further notice in the 32nd Dáil, Standing Order 29 of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business be amended, with effect from 6th December, 2016:
(a) by the deletion of subparagraph (d) and the substitution of the following:
‘(d) The sequence in which Leaders shall be called upon to put questions shall be in accordance with the rota over nine weeks/27 sitting days, approved by the sub-Committee on Dáil Reform, determined on the basis of the number of members in each group, and with questions for each group distributed across each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that the Dáil sits: Provided that no group shall have more than one question each day. The rota as applied to particular dates shall be circulated periodically to members by the Journal Office.’;

and
(b) in paragraph (f), by the deletion of all words from ‘Provided that’ down to and including ‘that Standing Order’.”
Question put and agreed to.

Regina Doherty in the Irish Times Jan 2016

The two larger parties also share a concern that the smaller groupings in the Dáil are getting too much speaking time relative to their parliamentary strength, something that is now kept under constant review.

Final Report of the Sub-Committee on Dail Reform 24 May 2016