Backbenchers’ access to Order of Business
Thomas P. Broughan and Peter Mathews complained that party leaders and larger groups dominate opportunities to raise issues, seeking a procedural review. The Ceann Comhairle attributed the lost time to a division, while further interjections concerned equal representation and Peter Mathews’s party expulsion.
Is it possible to give backbenchers on all sides an opportunity to raise matters on the Order of Business? There are a good few of us who wanted to raise matters today. Leaders of political parties-----
Comment on this
Leaders of political parties and significant groupings have four opportunities to raise issues in the morning. Several of us came into the Chamber to raise issues, but we were not given the chance to do so. Will the Ceann Comhairle examine the matter at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges?
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Half an hour is allocated for the Order of Business. On the odd occasion there can be a division which uses up the time.
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Yes, but the same Members keep being given opportunities to raise issues. We all have the same mandate in this House.
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There are 166 of us. This is not a party chatroom but a Parliament.
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Yet the parties are dominating it, which plainly is wrong.
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You threw me out, Jerry, under threat. The party leader said anyone who disagreed would not be a candidate in any election in the future. How about that?
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The microphones are off which is why I have to project my voice.