WATCH: Offaly TD storms out of chamber after furious row with Dail chair
OFFALY TD Carol Nolan angrily walked out of the Dail chamber yesterday in a row over speaking rights.
The independent deputy was hoping to address the Dail for a few minutes on the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme but was not permitted to do so by the acting chair, Green Party TD Marc O Cathasaigh.
A number of TDs contributed to the debate on the support scheme for businesses and prior to the row involving Deputy Nolan, another independent representative, Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, offered Limerick TD Richard O'Donoghue two-and-a-half minutes of his time.
When Deputy O'Donoghue concluded, acting chair Deputy O Cathasaigh told Deputy Fitzmaurice he would be given five minutes.
Indicating his willingness to share his time, Deputy Fitzmaurice said: “Does anyone else want to speak? Is Deputy Nolan okay?” to which the Offaly representative replied: “Does Deputy Fitzmaurice mind if I take one minute?”
Deputy Fitzmaurice repeated his offer to donate part of his slot: “The Acting Chair can give Deputy Nolan a minute if he can.”
Acting chair Deputy O Cathasaigh began: “I am afraid I cannot share out time with Deputy Nolan” whereupon he was interrupted by Deputy Nolan who said: “Why not? That normally happens in here. Is there any particular reason?”
The acting chair told her there were also Government deputies who had not been given time to speak.
Deputy Fitzmaurice intervened saying: “I will stop at four minutes if the acting chairman wants to give Deputy Nolan the minute.”
When he finished his short statement he said: “The acting chairman can give the rest of my time to someone else.”
Then came the directive from the chair which angered Deputy Nolan.
“I am afraid I am not prepared to reorder the debate in that way. The business was ordered by the House,” said Deputy O Cathasaigh.
“Oh for God's sake, it is only a small accommodation,” said Deputy Nolan, “and it has been done in this chamber before.”
As they spoke over each other, the Dail chair said: “The speaking time allotted for the members of the Rural Independent Group has already been exceeded.”
Deputy Nolan declared: “That is not fair” to which the chair said “It is entirely fair”.
He was about to refer again to Government deputies when Deputy Nolan stated: “That is not fair because I have seen other people accommodated in here.”
Deputy O Cathasaigh said Government deputies had been “treated in the same way” as the Offaly TD.
“That is not fair,” said Deputy Nolan and when the chair said those other deputies “did not have the facility to speak” the Offaly representative told him: “That is out of order”.
As the heated exchange continued, Deputy O Cathasaigh said it was not out of order.
“It absolutely is,” retorted Deputy Nolan.
The Offaly TD then got up from her seat and began leaving the chamber, speaking to the chair as she walked past: “You are an absolute disgrace. So much for democracy.”
Deputy O Cathasaigh replied: “Indeed.”
As she opened the door to leave, Deputy Nolan said to the chair: “You could learn a bit.”
Deputy O Cathasaigh then called on Finance Minister Michael McGrath to reply to the other deputies.
In a comment posted on Twitter later, Deputy Nolan said: “Earlier this evening I was denied speaking time despite the fact that Deputy Fitzmaurice agreed to share 2 mins of his time with me, the sharing of time is frequent practice in the chamber but for some reason the chair refused to let me speak.”
And on her Facebook page she said: “Earlier this evening I was denied speaking time in the Dail despite the fact that Deputy Fitzmaurice agreed to share some of his time with me, the sharing of time is frequent practice in the chamber which is always accommodated and provided for but for some reason the chairperson – a Green Party TD denied me 60 seconds of speaking time this evening and I was unable to speak on the issue of TBESS on behalf of businesses in my constituency.. Democracy in Action? Clearly the chairperson could do with learning a bit about democracy and fairness!”