Ar dtús báire, ní aontaím in aon chor leis an Teachta. Is dóigh liom nach bhfuil sí ag insint na fírinne in aon chor sa mhéid a dúirt sí faoin Chief Whip.

At the outset I wish to say that before this Dáil was convened, we were told - in no uncertain manner - that we faced a new era of total opposition. That was the Sinn Féin promise. When we met to fulfil our constitutional duty to appoint the Government, we saw the new model of total opposition includes making it impossible to do business unless the minority allows it. It involves refusing to respect basic rules and making extreme statements and false assertions, as we have just had.

Since Dáil Éireann first met, its rules have changed hundreds of times. Many times these rules have been changed without agreement between all parties. We have regularly had votes on changes to parliamentary procedure. The concept of an Opposition veto is found nowhere in the democratic world.

Hear, hear.

In this case, what we have is the profoundly antidemocratic demand that non-office holders be kept quiet if they support the Government.

Absolutely not.

More red herrings.

Yesterday, a number of Opposition spokespeople claimed no other country in the world would do this. It is a sad commentary on their approach that they would use such inflated language to make provably false claims.

A basic review of democratic parliaments around the world shows that Ireland may in fact be the only one which refuses to allow Government-supporting TDs to ask priority oral questions.

Excessive executive control.

To give just a few examples; in Germany all non-Ministers have access to oral questions.

Have they not got that here?

It is the same here.

The same is the case in France-----

Deputies, please.

-----Finland and the Netherlands.

Here as well.

Please, Deputies.

I did not interrupt.

Deputies, please allow the Taoiseach to speak.

Self-serving offices.

In Australia, the practice is Government MPs get to ask half of all questions to the Prime Minister. In Sweden, the Prime Minister answers oral questions on alternate months and all MPs can participate.

It is not the same executive control as here.

Deputies, allow the Taoiseach to speak.

Deputy McDonald and Sinn Féin are not defending any democratic principle.

Yes we are.

You are promoting a destructive model of opposition.

Hear, hear.

It is one which tries to import into this Chamber the loud hailer politics of the street, which many of you prefer to doing the business of the people and respecting all mandates. We have very serious issues facing this country. Next week, tariffs will be announced on Europe.

You are not concerned about them. You are concerned about getting your deal over the line.

We have a housing crisis-----

Who is to blame for that?

-----yet this is the number one issue for Sinn Féin. It is what you have always done. You brought down the Northern Ireland Assembly when it suited you and the party's self-interest on a number of occasions.

Red herring.

Your stated objective here is to undermine this institution, to undermine the Government, to reduce the Government majority-----

You have done it yourselves.

----and to create mayhem. That is what you are about. Anybody who uses two fingers in this House to another person is wrong and that person should apologise.

He is the person who brought your Government together.

That would apply to Deputy Lowry. Equally, you should face up and acknowledge that any Deputy waving cameras in the face of other Deputies is wrong. That was never a part and parcel of Leinster House.

Talk to your own crew.

Equally, the intimidatory barracking of newly elected TDs, be they Independent or not, simply because they support the Government is a new low that I have never witnessed before in this House.

Hear, hear.

Whatever you think of Deputies Heneghan and Toole, they are newly elected Deputies. You have othered them, consistently pressurised them-----

You are defending Deputy Michael Lowry again.

-----and put them under pressure.

I thank the Taoiseach.

Your declaration of a lack of confidence in the Ceann Comhairle is a further instalment in your overall strategy, declared before this Dáil met, of total opposition.

I thank the Taoiseach.

We have a united Opposition.

You will do everything to undermine the institutions of this State, to which you have never been very loyal in your long history.

Hear, hear.

I thank the Taoiseach and call Deputy McDonald.