Speaking rights for Northern MPs
Deputy Tóibín proposed legislation to give MPs elected in the North of Ireland speaking rights in the Dáil. The Taoiseach said he had not seen the Bill but would give it due consideration when the Government received it.
The Taoiseach has stated he will defend the interests of Irish citizens in the North of Ireland. Thousands of people from across the country have asked him to put those words into actions. Some 100 years ago, Members of Parliament, north and south, refused to attend Westminster and they came here to create our Dáil as a 32-county Parliament at the time. Yesterday, I submitted a Bill that would give speaking rights to MPs elected in the North of Ireland. It is in our gift at this critical juncture of Brexit to allow elected representatives of the North of Ireland to have speaking rights here and facilitate representatives of citizens from Derry, west Belfast and west Tyrone in here. Will the Taoiseach facilitate this Bill in going through this Dáil before it ends?
