Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Jun 1987

Vol. 373 No. 13

Discharge of Member's Suspension: Motion.

An Ceann Comhairle

I desire to inform the House that I have received from Deputy Emmet Stagg, who was suspended from the service of An Dáil on Thursday, 18 June for disregarding the authority of the Chair, a written and approved expression of regret in the following terms:

23 June 1987.

Dear Ceann Comhairle,

In accordance with requirements of Standing Order 55, I wish to convey to you my sincere regret over my conduct in the House last Thursday. I regret my refusal to obey your ruling calling on me to resume my seat and the disruption which led to my suspension.

Yours sincerely,

(Signed) Emmet Stagg.

A motion may now be moved providing that the Order of the Dáil of 18 June suspending Deputy Emmet Stagg from the service of the Dáil be discharged. I would remind the House however that Standing Order 55 provides that the Ceann Comhairle shall, on motion made without notice, amendment, adjournment or debate, forthwith put the question for the discharge of the order of suspension.

The Taoiseach

I wish at this stage to make it clear that if such a motion is moved it is the intention of the Government to oppose it. I believe that in this regard Deputy Stagg is treating the procedures of this House and the office of Ceann Comhairle with disrespect. I am quite satisfied from reports of the interview he gave on the radio this morning that this is not a genuine or sincere apology to the Chair. Rather is it an artificial technical device to enable him to vote in a crucial division this evening.

Mr. Spring

I move:

"That the Order of the Dáil of June 18 suspending Deputy Emmet Stagg from the service of the Dáil be discharged".

I had intended moving this motion without discussion, as is the Order of the House, but I must respond to the Taoiseach's remarks. The attitude being taken by the Taoiseach I find hard to comprehend because on 28 November 1967 the then Deputy Coughlan's apology was accepted by the Chair and in 1951, the late Deputy Patrick Smith's apology was accepted by the Chair. Who is Deputy Haughey, the Taoiseach, to question the sincerity or the bona fides of the apology being offered by Deputy Stagg?

(Interruptions.)

Mr. Spring

The Fianna Fáil Deputies should save their voices for elsewhere.

A Deputy

Nice one, Dick.

(Interruptions.)

An Ceann Comhairle

Order, please.

A Deputy

Do you want another photo finish?

Mr. Spring

I know the Deputies opposite are not allowed to raise their voices at party meetings, so they obviously have to raise them here.

An Ceann Comhairle

I have allowed the Deputy to respond to the Taoiseach's comments but the Deputy will have regard to the fact that this motion must be put forthwith, without debate.

Mr. Spring

I am moving the motion with sincerity.

Question put.

The Dáil divided: Tá, 29; Níl, 75.

Tá

• Clohessy, Peadar.
• Cluskey, Frank.
• Colley, Anne.
• Cullen, Martin.
• De Rossa, Proinsias.
• Desmond, Barry.
• Gibbons, Martin Patrick.
• Gregory, Tony.
• Harney, Mary.
• Higgins, Michael D.
• Kavanagh, Liam.
• Keating, Michael.
• Kemmy, Jim.
• Kennedy, Geraldine.
• McCartan, Pat.
• McCoy, John S.
• McDowell, Michael.
• Mac Giolla, Tomás.
• Molloy, Robert.
• O'Malley, Desmond J.
• O'Malley, Pat.
• O'Sullivan, Toddy.
• Pattison, Séamus.
• Quill, Máirín.
• Quinn, Ruairí.
• Sherlock, Joe.
• Spring, Dick.
• Taylor, Mervyn.
• Wyse, Pearse.

Níl

• Abbott, Henry.
• Ahern, Bertie.
• Ahern, Dermot.
• Ahern, Michael.
• Andrews, David.
• Aylward, Liam.
• Barrett, Michael.
• Brady, Gerard.
• Brady, Vincent.
• Brennan, Matthew.
• Brennan, Séamus.
• Briscoe, Ben.
• Browne, John.
• Burke, Ray.
• Byrne, Hugh.
• Calleary, Seán.
• Collins, Gerard.
• Conaghan, Hugh.
• Connolly, Ger.
• Coughlan, Mary T.
• Cowen, Brian.
• Daly, Brendan.
• Davern, Noel.
• Dempsey, Noel.
• Dennehy, John.
• de Valera, Síle.
• Doherty, Seán.
• Ellis, John.
• Fahey, Frank.
• Fahey, Jackie.
• Fitzgerald, Liam.
• Fitzpatrick, Dermott.
• Reynolds, Albert.
• Roche, Dick.
• Smith, Michael.
• Stafford, John.
• Swift, Brian.
• Treacy, Noel.
• Flood, Chris.
• Flynn, Pádraig.
• Gallagher, Denis.
• Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
• Geoghegan-Quinn, Máire.
• Haughey, Charles J.
• Hilliard, Colm Michael.
• Hyland, Liam.
• Jacob, Joe.
• Kirk, Séamus.
• Kitt, Michael P.
• Kitt, Tom.
• Lawlor, Liam.
• Leonard, Jimmy.
• Leyden, Terry.
• Lynch, Michael.
• McCarthy, Seán.
• McCreevy, Charlie.
• MacSharry, Ray.
• Morley, P. J.
• Moynihan, Donal.
• Nolan, M. J.
• Noonan, Michael J.
• (Limerick West).
• O'Dea, William Gerard.
• O'Donoghue, John.
• O'Hanlon, Rory.
• O'Keeffe, Batt.
• O'Kennedy, Michael.
• O'Leary, John.
• O'Rourke, Mary.
• Power, Paddy.
• Tunney, Jim.
• Wallace, Dan.
• Walsh, Joe.
• Walsh, Seán.
• Woods, Michael.
• Wright, G.V.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Taylor and O'Sullivan; Níl, Deputies V. Brady and Browne.

Question declared lost.