pastradamus
9th March 2011, 00:59
As expected, the United left have joined up with independants to form the technical group which will give the members the advantage of extra speaking rights. It is not a political allience and its members are seperate of each other.
From BreakingNews.ie
Some 16 independent and left-leaning TDs have formed a pact to ensure speaking rights in the Dil.
The technical group will be entitled to challenge the Taoiseach during Leaders Questions.
But Dublin independent TD Maureen OSullivan said each member of the group will be free to support or oppose the Government.
Its not a political group, so we dont have to agree on policies, Ms OSullivan said.
What were doing simply is were using the system that is there so that it will make it fair to those of us who are independents and in the smaller political parties that we will have speaking time, that we will get priority questions, that we will be able to have private members time.
The technical group include independents Finian McGrath, Maureen OSullivan, Thomas Pringle, Luke Ming Flanagan, Shane Ross, Stephen Donnelly, Mick Wallace, Catherine Murphy, Tom Fleming and John Halligan.
Left-leaning TDs under the banner of the United Left Alliance and Socialist Party include Joe Higgins, Clare Daly, Joan Collins and Richard Boyd-Barrett.
But three independent TDs, Michael Healy-Rae, Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish, have not joined the group.
They are expected to support Enda Kennys appointment as Taoiseach tomorrow.
Mr Healy-Rae said the three came to an understanding of their own.
What the people of Ireland want now is politicians working in a unified, hard-working fashion to try and get us out of where we are at, Mr Healy-Rae said.
And just to go into the chamber, and Im not talking about the technical group, politicians who are going to go into tomorrow or any other day and are knocking Enda Kenny or the ministers at every opportunity, thats not my style of politics.
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tds-in-pact-on-speaking-rights-496476.html#ixzz1G3l9nmjf
From BreakingNews.ie
Some 16 independent and left-leaning TDs have formed a pact to ensure speaking rights in the Dil.
The technical group will be entitled to challenge the Taoiseach during Leaders Questions.
But Dublin independent TD Maureen OSullivan said each member of the group will be free to support or oppose the Government.
Its not a political group, so we dont have to agree on policies, Ms OSullivan said.
What were doing simply is were using the system that is there so that it will make it fair to those of us who are independents and in the smaller political parties that we will have speaking time, that we will get priority questions, that we will be able to have private members time.
The technical group include independents Finian McGrath, Maureen OSullivan, Thomas Pringle, Luke Ming Flanagan, Shane Ross, Stephen Donnelly, Mick Wallace, Catherine Murphy, Tom Fleming and John Halligan.
Left-leaning TDs under the banner of the United Left Alliance and Socialist Party include Joe Higgins, Clare Daly, Joan Collins and Richard Boyd-Barrett.
But three independent TDs, Michael Healy-Rae, Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish, have not joined the group.
They are expected to support Enda Kennys appointment as Taoiseach tomorrow.
Mr Healy-Rae said the three came to an understanding of their own.
What the people of Ireland want now is politicians working in a unified, hard-working fashion to try and get us out of where we are at, Mr Healy-Rae said.
And just to go into the chamber, and Im not talking about the technical group, politicians who are going to go into tomorrow or any other day and are knocking Enda Kenny or the ministers at every opportunity, thats not my style of politics.
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tds-in-pact-on-speaking-rights-496476.html#ixzz1G3l9nmjf