The Seanad was suspended twice in a heated row over an extended vote deadline, which allowed eight Government Senators who were late, get to the chamber.
The vote was called on one of a series of amendments from Independent Senator Lynn Ruane to the Defamation Bill.
A vote can only be taken by the Cathaoirleach or Leas Chathaoirleach, in this instance Leas Cathaoirleach Maria Byrne.
Ms Ruane angrily disputed the vote going ahead and said the doors should have been locked after three minutes, but the delay allowed eight additional Senators to enter the chamber after the deadline.
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“If that was the Opposition we would have been locked out of the room and not got in to vote ... It’s not okay,” she insisted.
Independent Senator Alice Mary Higgins said the implication is that the Leas Chathaoirleach was “asked to stay outside the door to extend the time indefinitely to allow Government members to be gathered”.
Ms Byrne, elected as a Fine Gael Senator, said the issue could be raised at the Oireachtas Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight.
But Ms Ruane said she had been a Senator for 10 years and they had “always abided by the time”. And “a dangerous precedent is being set” by the chairwoman.
Bells ring for individual votes for four minutes and Senators get another four to get to the chamber. But “short” bells of two minutes with an additional minute to allow Senators to arrive, are called when there is a series of votes close together.
Ms Higgins said the impartiality of the deputy chairwoman/man could be questioned if a Government member delays entering the chamber and facilitates the Government bringing many more members in.
When she was called on to withdraw the allegation that the Leas Chathaoirleach deliberately stayed outside the chamber, Ms Higgins insisted she did not say that was the intention, “but it is the effect of the interpretation of the standing orders”.
The Leas Chathaoirleach read out the standing order, which states: “The period for which the division bell is rung and the interval between the ringing of the bell and locking of the doors shall be not less than two minutes and not less than one minute respectively.”
Ms Byrne stressed it was “not less” than that time, but Ms Higgins said they were now saying the timings were “discretionary”.
Ms Ruane angrily asked, “are you telling me for the last 10 years standing orders have not supported being locked out of the chamber?”
The Leas Chathaoirleach replied, “that’s not what I said” and attempted to move to the vote. But Ms Ruane refused and the House was suspended for 10 minutes.
It was then suspended for a further 30 minutes when Ms Ruane said there had been no engagement “to bring any sort of resolution”.
The acting chair instructed that the doors be closed and “still more people opened the doors and walked in”.
Ms Byrne said the matter could not be resolved on the floor of the House.
Fine Gael Seanad leader Sean Kyne said he was not present when the vote was called and when he arrived “the door opened” but Ms Byrne was not present. “The doors had to remain open until you came in,” he told her.
Ms Ruane suggested time was now “just abstract”.
After a second suspension, Ms Byrne said the points raised by the Senators about the division process would be “addressed thoroughly” by the parliamentary privileges committee. Voting then proceeded on the amendment.
