All sides primed for a fight in Dáil over plans to scrap the triple lock

Good morning,

TDs holding signs in the Dáil chamber proclaiming Save Neutrality! A big argument over the Dáil’s business for the week! Seán Russell and the Nazis!

It was lively stuff in the Dáil when the triple lock came up yesterday – and the main event isn’t even happening until today.

If there was ever an indication of the depth of feeling – or the political theatre, depending how you look at it – over Government plans to scrap the triple lock, it came at Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday. Whatever way you feel about the issue, it’s clear everyone is primed for a fight.

Sinn Féin attacked the Government for wanting to move towards “military adventurism”. The Taoiseach responded by saying he would take “no lectures” from a party that “once supported nazism” during the second World War.

Cue uproar, as Micheál Martin told the Dáil that Sinn Féin leaders “colluded with the Hitler regime and Seán Russell was the key person”, prompting much heckling and denials from Sinn Féin, with Eoin Ó Broin eagerly reminding the Taoiseach of De Valera’s condolences on Hitler’s death.

There followed a spirited row when the Dáil came to vote on its own business for the week – especially the 3½ hour debate on the triple lock legislation scheduled for later today (the Opposition wants more time for debate).

Some hours in the Dáil barely trundle along – this one crackled with energy. You’d only hope they saved some for today’s proceedings.

Read Marie O’Halloran’s write up of yesterday here. And anyone who needs a refresher on the triple lock can find it here, courtesy of political editor Pat Leahy.

Make no mistake about it, the passage of this legislation will be one of the big confrontations as we head into the winter.

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The triple lock was one of two political rows punctuating the day yesterday – the second being Jim O’Callaghan’s long war against the criminal solicitors.

The Minister for Justice was before the Oireachtas justice committee, but was so keen on one of his attack lines (that solicitors had deliberately sought to affect rape trials with their withdrawal of services during a row over his reforms to criminal legal aid) that he let it slip on the Six One News on Monday, and in a widely leaked copy of his opening remarks to the committee.

The net effect was that the solicitors (plus Opposition politicians and even some Government ones too) had almost a full day to pillory the Minister.

Where does it leave us all? Well, nowhere closer to a resolution, that’s for sure. Intentional or not, O’Callaghan has shown an ability to stoke tensions around this long-running row – from his “crime doesn’t pay” jibe over summer, to this latest foray.

Who does the public back? In a choice between politicians and lawyers, perhaps neither. But patience for the long-running conflict is probably finite; sooner or later, they’ll want it sorted. And if it’s not, there may be plenty of blame to go around.

Here’s our front page piece on it this morning.

Our editorial points out that while solicitors and O’Callaghan face off, complainants, defendants and their families are caught in the middle.

Best reads

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Kitty Holland writes about the impact of the ending of the Accommodation Recognition Payment for those hosting Ukrainians.

Read Mark Weiss on the Israeli elections here. Hot off the presses – Denis Staunton’s early morning take on Alberta’s hefty rejection of an independence vote in Canada.

Playbook

Action in the Dáil starts at 9am with topical issues, before the second stage of Ruth Coppinger’s legislation on non-binary and intersex recognition. Leaders’ Questions, Other Members’ Questions and Questions on Policy or Legislation brings us up to lunchtime, when the State apology to the family of the late Brian Stack will take place.

In the evening, it’s hard to look past the debate on legislation scrapping the triple lock (mentioned above) as the main draw. Here’s the full schedule.

The Seanad sits from 10.30am with commencement matters. Government business is given over to legislation on media regulation and labelling of vapes in the afternoon. In the evening, there’s a motion on fuel costs from Sinn Féin senators. Here’s the full schedule.

The committees sit from 9.30am. Here’s what looks most lively:

• The transport committee is hearing from Irish Rail at 9.45am. Every chance Martin Wall’s story following on from recent spending controversy will come up.
• The finance and public expenditure committee is hearing on protected disclosures – interesting in the context of recent coverage of Garda whistleblowers. That’s at 3.30pm

Here’s the full schedule.

Away from Kildare Street, a Supreme Court appeal of Paul Murphy’s super junior ministers legal challenge is getting under way.

The Global Bioeconomy Summit is on in the Convention Centre – the Taoiseach, Minister for Climate Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon and former minister/former EU commissioner/possible UN food agency chief Phil Hogan will also be there.