TDs could face disciplinary action for breach of Dáil rules if they refuse to stand during the opening prayer.
A period of 30 seconds of silent reflection is to be observed by members of Dáil Éireann following the daily prayer after a vote was taken amongst TDs this afternoon.
According to RTÉ, 97 TDs voted in favour (17 voted against and there were 19 abstentions) of a proposal to add 30 seconds of silent reflection to the Dáil prayer (and for mandatory standing during the prayer), which has been the subject of much debate in Leinster House in recent days.
A Solidarity-People Before Profit proposal to abolish the daily Dáil prayer, meanwhile, was overwhelmingly defeated (96-15, with 20 abstentions), while a proposal by Joan Collins TD to replace the prayer with a period of 30 seconds of silent reflection was defeated by a similar margin (96-19, with 17 abstentions).
As a result of the vote, as pointed out by Today FM’s Gavan Reilly, TDs could face disciplinary action for a refusal to stand during the Dáil prayer.
There we have it. Motion for mandatory standing during #Dail prayer, with 30 seconds silence afterward, carried 97-17 (19 abstentions)
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) May 4, 2017
Result: From next Tuesday, TDs *might* face disciplinary action for breach of Dáil rules if they refuse to stand during the opening prayer
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) May 4, 2017
Although the vote to introduce mandatory standing during the Dáil prayer was carried overwhelmingly in the Dáil, Bríd Smith and Ruth Coppinger were amongst those to express their disappointment at the decision.
Sinn Féin abstained on the change to #DáilPrayer to compel TDs to stand. Labour fully supported it. Out of touch politicians #dubw
— Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) May 4, 2017
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