Sinn Féin Chief Whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has said that the opposition will not stand for the charade being attempted by the government to appease Michael Lowry.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn was speaking tonight following a lengthy meeting of the Dáil Standing Orders Committee where the government made the ludicrous proposal that Michael Lowry’s band of government-supporting TDs be recategorised as an ‘unaligned’ group in the Dáil.

Teachta Mac Lochlainn said:

“Tonight we have witnessed the government doubling down on their outrageous stroke to allow government-supporting TDs to pose as opposition TDs and take Leaders Questions and Priority Questions in the Dáil.

“This is farcical nonsense, and the opposition will not be party to this charade.

“The outgoing government chief whip stood up in the Dáil last week and said that clarity would be brought to this situation.

“Nobody expected them to come back a week later and say with a straight face that Michael Lowry’s government-supporting independents are now ‘unaligned’.

“Who do they think they are kidding?

“The reality is this. Government TDs in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael do not get Leaders’ Questions or Priority Questions. Therefore, Michael Lowry, Danny Healy-Rae, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole – who are government TDs – should not either.

“These TDs negotiated, signed and delivered the Programme for Government, and they have declared their unwavering support for the government.

“So let’s stop the pretence. It’s black and white. The only place they should be sitting is on the government benches, and their speaking time and committee positions should be allocated to them by the government. That is the bottom line.”