Another Torrid Day For The Ceann Comhairle In The Hot Seat

You're not allowed to call someone a liar in Irish or English in the Dáil chamber.

A massive row broke out in the Dáil again this afternoon after Sinn Féin claimed Taoiseach Micheál Martin had called Mary Lou McDonald a liar, in Irish. Micheál Martin is alleged to have muttered “ag insint bréaga” or for those of you without a cúpla focal as Gaeilge, that translates to ‘telling lies’ - which is not permitted under Dáil rules.

Some of you reading this might think they’re politicians, so what’s the big deal? Under the rules of the Dáil, TDs are restricted in what they can say about other TDs. As part of what you can’t say, TDs must not state that another member is guilty of “being deceitful”. There are two issues here, and once you watch the video, you’ll see what they are, and none of them have to do with being called a liar.

The first is that Ceann Comhairle can’t speak Irish, so Verona Murphy wouldn’t have picked up on mischievous Micheál winding up Sinn Féin. The Ceann Comhairle should have working knowledge of Irish as it’s used regularly in the chamber. Sinn Féin'…