---
title: "Irish parliamentary speaker defeats no confidence motion"
description: "DUBLIN, April 1 (Reuters) - The speaker of the lower house of Ireland's parliament defeated a no confidence motion laid down by the main opposition parties as expected on Tuesday after maintaining the support of the coalition government."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-01-irish-parliamentary-speaker-defeats-no-confidence-motion/"
published: "2025-04-01T21:16:33"
updated: "2025-04-01T21:16:35"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 134
---

# Irish parliamentary speaker defeats no confidence motion

> DUBLIN, April 1 (Reuters) - The speaker of the lower house of Ireland's parliament defeated a no confidence motion laid down by the main opposition parties as expected on Tuesday after maintaining the support of the coalition government.

By Reuters · Published 1 April 2025, 23:16 SAST · Updated 1 April 2025, 23:16 SAST

## Key points
- In a dramatic twist worthy of a political soap opera, Verona Murphy, the newly-minted independent lawmaker, has found herself at the center of a parliamentary kerfuffle, fending off calls to resign while her allies in Fine Gael and Fianna Fail throw her a lifeline in a vote of confidence, all thanks to a spicy dispute over speaking rights that has left the opposition fuming and the parliamentary schedule in disarray.
- Verona Murphy, an independent lawmaker, faced calls to resign over a parliamentary speaking rights dispute but firmly rejected them.
- Opposition parties are protesting a new rule granting extended speaking rights to government-supporting independents, disrupting parliamentary proceedings.
- Murphy is accused of bypassing rules to expedite a vote on speaking proposals, allegations she has denied.
- In a historic move, lawmakers expressed confidence in Murphy, voting 96 to 71, marking the first such motion for a parliamentary speaker.

## Content

Verona Murphy, an independent lawmaker whose elevation to the post after a November general election was backed by the ruling Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and their independent allies, rejected [calls to quit](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3Q90KF&linkedFromStory=true) last week over a dispute about speaking rights that has impacted the workings of parliament.

Opposition parties have protested against a new rule that government-supporting independents retain extended speaking rights previously afforded to them in opposition, interrupting sittings and delaying the appointment of all committees.

The opposition accused Murphy of bypassing parliamentary rules last week by hastening a vote on the government's speaking proposals. She categorically rejected the allegations.

Lawmakers voted confidence in Murphy - the first time a speaker in the parliament has faced such a motion - by 96 to 71.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Catarina Demony)