Clare TD welcomes new Dail rules guaranteeing speaking time for non-aligned independents
AN INDEPENDENT Clare TD is to be guaranteed speaking time in the Dáil following the passing of an historic motion.
The return of the Dáil following the summer recess began with the passing of the motion granting guaranteed speaking time to non-aligned Independent TDs.
This means that for the first time in the history of the State, independent deputies who are not in a technical group with other Independent TDs will have guaranteed speaking time on a range of different types of Dáil business items.
There are currently two non-aligned independent TDs in the Dáil - one of which is Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne from Clare.
“I have spent the summer recess engaging with constituents and groups all over the county and I’m really looking forward to hitting the ground running back in Dáil Éireann and putting this new speaking time to good use," said Deputy Wynne.
"It's No great surprise that the people of Clare are mainly concerned with housing, access to healthcare, school transport, childcare and securing assessments of need or support for children. I intend fully to put this new time to good use raising those issues and the many varied other issues that constituents have raised with me," she added.
Explaining the issue regarding speaking time, Deputy Wynne said. “Up until now, the arrangement of speaking time in the Dáil has been designed in a way that greatly favoured both the Government and leading Opposition Parties. For non-aligned independent TDs there were no guaranteed speaking slots, and when I first became an independent, I was essentially rendered voiceless. Since then, I have been able to borrow speaking time from a number of opposition Parties and independent groups, to which I am enormously grateful."
The motion was proposed on foot of a report from the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform and provides for the addition of 2 minutes for non-aligned independent TDs to speak on a number of items including second stage of a Government Bill; Debates on Government motions and Statements to the House; Private Members Business on Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings and in response to the Budget speeches on Tuesday, October 10."
“There are still many things that need to be done to rebalance the scales away from giving the big parties all of the power in the House, but this is a welcome first-step, and it is a glass ceiling that I am very proud to play a small part in breaking. We still have a lot to do to make the Dáil a warmer House for non-aligned independents," said Deputy Wynne who previously made history a year ago this week by bringing her baby girl, Collins, into the chamber for a vote.