Key facts
- Sinn Féin TDs appeared to vote against their own amendment in the Dáil.
- The incident occurred when the amendment question was posed in Irish.
- Aontú leader Peader Tóibín intervened to highlight the situation.
- The question was re-asked in English, leading Sinn Féin to agree.
- The Irish language is the country's first official language.
An unusual situation unfolded in the Dáil on Wednesday when Sinn Féin TDs appeared to vote against their own amendment during a cost of living debate. The incident occurred when Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy asked in Irish if the amendment was agreed to, and the Sinn Féin representatives present did not respond affirmatively.
Aontú leader Peader Tóibín interjected, pointing out the apparent contradiction. Following his intervention, Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn stated that he did not have fluent Irish. Murphy then re-posed the question in English, to which the Sinn Féin TDs agreed. The moment elicited laughter in the chamber before the amendment was postponed.
The debate concerned a motion on the cost of living, to which both the government and Sinn Féin had submitted amendments. Sinn Féin's amendment had been announced by deputy leader Pearse Doherty, a fluent Irish speaker, in both Irish and English. Doherty was not present for the vote.
Tóibín told BBC News NI that he stepped in to "save their blushes," emphasizing the importance of the Irish language to Irish republican identity. He expressed initial perplexity at their vote against their own amendment, suggesting it was due to a lack of Irish fluency among those present.
This is not the first time the use of the Irish language in the Dáil has led to controversy. Previously, Taoiseach Micheál Martin responded to criticism from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald by speaking in Irish, stating she was "ag insint bréaga" (telling lies), a remark that led to a dispute over Dáil standing orders.