Technical Group

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The Technical Group in Irish politics is a group of deputies who associate to increase their speaking rights in Dáil Éireann. Independents and smaller parties have long had a technical group, but in the 29th Dáil, it referred to a loose federation of 22 opposition deputies.

[edit] Origin and policy

Many technical groups have sat in the Dáil; recent examples include a group of nine members in 1992. Since only groups with seven or more members have full speaking rights under Dáil standing orders, smaller parties and independents were unable to speak as often as the major parties. They convened a Technical Group in order to enjoy more speaking time.

[edit] The 30th Dáil

A technical group has not been created in the 30th Dáil, because of the reduced number of independents and small opposition parties. Of the former members, most independents lost their seats in the 2007 general election. In addition, Sinn Féin was reduced to four seats, and the six Green Party TDs became part of the government, as did all but one of the remaining independents.

Because there remains only four Sinn Féin and Tony Gregory in the opposition but not in major parties, they do not reach the threshold of seven TDs to constitute a grouping in the Dáil. Bertie Ahern's decision to take several independents into government, as well as the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats, when they were not needed to form a majority, has led to speculation that this was a deliberate move to frustrate Sinn Féin's ability to speak in the Dáil. Following their disappointing result in the general election, this has been seen as an attempt to further weaken the party.