Good morning.
Rows over speaking rights in the Dáil and the controversy about more questionable spending under the aegis of the Department of Arts and Culture dominate much of the domestic political coverage this morning. You’re likely to hear plenty more about both today.
But they are hardly of the same level of importance as the unfolding events in Kyiv, Washington and Brussels concerning the future of Ukraine, Europe’s security and the position of the United States.
EU leaders will meet via teleconference this morning when French president Emmanuel Macron will debrief colleagues about his meeting with US president Donald Trump on Monday, ahead of an emergency summit in Brussels next week.
Government will use research on four other parliaments to justify changes to Dáil speaking rights
National Gallery will use own resources to bring idle €120,000 scanner into use this year, says Minister
Michael Lowry and Dáil speaking rights dominate at home as Europe meets on Ukraine
New Dublin Lucan and Carrigaline in Cork constituencies considered but rejected
EU leaders have already indicated their intention to increase financial and military support to Ukraine as US support grows increasingly uncertain under the Trump administration. Yesterday Keir Starmer signalled a major increase in defence spending in the UK. Europe is rearming. The Government here will play some part in that.
Our page one story from Ukraine is here.
Meanwhile, Dan McLaughlin interviews a Ukrainian human rights activist who joined the army after the invasion and was captured and tortured by the Russians.
***
Back to the Dáil. The row about speaking rights for the backbench Independent TDs who support the Government exploded on the first day the Dáil met this year, delaying for a day the election of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach and poisoning relations across the floor of the House.
A fudgey compromise was agreed to get over that hump, but it did not resolve the problem – it simply postponed it for a while. Now it’s back.
The Government parties promised to seek a solution that was acceptable to all parties; the Opposition took this as a promise that they would not impose a solution using their Dáil majority. Those two interpretations were always going to run into one another.
On one level it’s an outrageous try-on by the Government parties to facilitate the desire of Michael Lowry and others to hover somewhere between Government and Opposition; on the other hand, it’s hard to take seriously the assertions of the Opposition that this represents a mortal threat to democracy.
But however you look at it, there’s no sign of an obvious solution. The Ceann Comhairle last night wrote to both sides urging them to come to a compromise at a meeting of the Dáil reform committee today. Neither side sounded like they were in the mood for a deal yesterday, though.
Elsewhere, the saga of the National Gallery’s scanner occupies much journalistic real estate this morning. Cormac McQuinn and Marie O’Halloran report.
New arts and culture Minister Patrick O’Donovan must be wondering what else he will find in his department.
Best reads
Arthur Beesley on yesterday’s Project Eagle report.
Miriam Lord on the Dáil speaking rights row.
Michael McDowell on Trump.
And Daniel Geary says that Americans seem to be suffering from an epidemic of mass cowardice.
Playbook
Long day in the Dáil where business gets under way with topical issues after 9am, Leaders’ Questions at noon, statements on Ukraine at 3.50pm and weekly votes at 8.40pm. Before that, though, there’ll be that Dáil reform committee meeting, and that row may well spill over into the Dáil.
The Seanad has statements on the response to Storm Eowyn.
Full Oireachtas schedule here.
That teleconference between EU leaders takes place this morning. Stay tuned to irishtimes.com for the readout.
Sign up for Politics push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the Inside Politics newsletter to get our politics team’s take direct to your inbox.
