Voting protocol
I voted against the Government formation based on the flawed Programme for Government and the coalition agreement made with rural independents that created addition ministries and added to costs without adding fresh or progressive ideas.
I will normally support any sensible opposition party motions, including from my own Technical Group which is set up to facilitate speaking time only.
However on occasion I will vote with the Government or abstain under the following circumstances:
If I feel votes called on the Order of Business are more about grandstanding than something meaningful
If I agree with a proposal to shorten debate time on straightforward matters so as to allow more speaking time for other issues
If I’m reasonably happy with the work schedule on a given week
But having not been asked to input into the Government my main role is to hold them to account and so I envisage that most votes will be against the Government’s proposals.
Pairing of votes
Government Ministers routinely ask opposition TDs to “pair” with them or refrain from voting on given days to allow them to carry out their business elsewhere, including abroad.
As an Independent TD not part of any Government arrangement I’m happy to facilitate this on an occasional basis.
I will keep a record below of dates I have agreed to pair (usually arranged in advance of the Order of Businesss) so people know why I’m not voting. There may be occasional times when I’m unable to vote for different reasons but this is just to let people know of specific times when I am formally paired:
Pairing dates 2025
Tuesday 18th February
Wednesday 19th February
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