This was farcical, a clear breach of Dáil rules. It was unprecedented and it was unacceptable.

Your actions yesterday, a Cheann Comhairle, were demonstrably partisan and lacked the partiality and independence demanded of your position.

Who convinced the Ceann Comhairle to play her part in this disgraceful charade, or is it simply that bias for the Government is baked into the very deal that secured her position? That is now the question.

Thaispeáin an Ceann Comhairle nach bhfuil sí neamhchlaonta nó neamhspleách. Thacaigh sí go daingean leis an Rialtas chun an beart aiféalach le Michael Lowry a chosaint. Ní féidir léi leanúint ar aghaidh sa phost. Caithfidh sí imeacht. A Cheann Comhairle, not alone have you lost the confidence of the entire Opposition, you have in fact decimated it-----

-----and the Dáil cannot function properly while you remain in the Chair.

Above all, the Ceann Comhairle must be impartial, fair and independent. By your actions, you have demonstrated that you are not. Your position is therefore untenable. I ask you to reflect very carefully on this because you need to go.

Absolutely not.

Try as you may wish, Taoiseach, with all the tools of deflection, there was one person and one side of the House that undermined democracy yesterday and it was the Government.

Yes, you get to defend your rights as a Government. You have assembled your Government between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry Independents. That is your prerogative - I absolutely recognise that - but you do not get to put together the Opposition.

That is the point. The most basic rule of the functioning of this place is the distinction between the Government exercising its prerogatives and the Opposition holding it robustly to account. You do not like accountability, Micheál Martin - cry me a river, because you will be held to account. The other basic necessity is the independence and absolute impartiality of the Ceann Comhairle. Very regrettably, yesterday that has been decimated. The Ceann Comhairle no longer enjoys the confidence of the Opposition. I wil…

Sure we saw it.

It is not false.

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

No, you have not.

Yes. The Opposition.

Like what?

Go away with you.

Yes. An absolute disgrace.

That is not correct. That is nonsense.