Opposition parties have agreed to withdraw co-operation from the Government on facilitating absences of Ministers from the Dáil as the row over speaking rights continues.
Fiery exchanges took place in the Dáil as ill feeling grows over the dispute.
It comes in the wake of the Government using its majority on the Dáil Reform Committee to push through proposals to change Dáil rules to allow Independent TDs who back the Government additional speaking rights.
Opposition leaders have criticised the move.
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In response they agreed on Thursday to withdraw pairing – an arrangement in which TDs agree not to participate in Dáil votes to allow for a Minister or Government TD’s absence from the Chamber, including for reasons of official business abroad.
The long-running speaking row dispute centres on Government efforts to carve out specific speaking time for a small group of Independent TDs led by Michael Lowry who support the Coalition.
The Government insists there will be no reduction in Opposition speaking time. This has been disputed by the Opposition.
Government chief whip Mary Butler said the proposals will ensure that all backbench TDs in Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, as well as Independents supporting the Government, will be able to access speaking time.
The finalised proposals will have to be voted on by the Dáil.
On Wednesday Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald criticised the Government’s actions and said it has “gone to no end of trouble to accommodate Michael Lowry and his group of independents to pretend that you can be in government and opposition at the same time”.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has since defended the Coalition’s plans accusing the Opposition of attempting to “muzzle backbench government TDs” and a “disproportionate response”.
Mr Chambers said the Opposition are “trying to make it about Michael Lowry, but in fact, we’ve lots of backbench TDs that haven’t an opportunity to speak during certain Dáil speaking time”.
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Sinn Féin justice spokesman Matt Carthy warned that the Government move on speaking rights “isn’t going to fly” and said the opposition “will fight this every step of the way”.
He asked Tánaiste Simon Harris if he and Taoiseach Micheál Martin would meet Opposition leaders to work out a solution.
“No, I will not,” Mr Harris said, adding there has already been “a very extensive process”.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik expressed disappointment at Mr Harris’s “flat refusal”.
The Tánaiste told her he was “always happy to engage but I’m also respectful of the process of the Dáil Reform Committee, which has representatives of all our parties and has now concluded its process by way of a democratic vote”.
Mr Harris defended the Coalition’s plans and hit out at the Opposition for refusing to grant pairs when Government TDs are away on official business describing this as “utterly childish”.
“It has never been more important for Government ministers to go abroad and represent this country on trade talks, on tariff talks, on Ukraine, on the Middle East,” he said.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon accused the Government of taking “the nuclear option” and claimed the offer to bring a solution acceptable to both sides was another “con”.
Mr Harris said “we’re talking about eight minutes twice a week where Government backbench TDs and Independent TDs who aren’t aligned [are] being allowed to raise questions on behalf of their constituents”.
“I think that’s perfectly reasonable,” he said.
