This is the first time a new government will be in place since November’s election, with government negotiations expected to take about five weeks to complete.
The new deal has already sparked controversy as a number of independent TDs, including Michael Lowry, Danny Healy-Roy, Barry Hennigan and Gillian Toole, who support the government, want to form a “technical group” that will give them speaking time. will give and other rights from opposition benches.
Another member of the group, Michael Healy-Roy, said he was “absolutely entitled to stand up as part of the technical group and ask questions and be part of the discussions”.
He told BBC NI’s Good Morning Ulster programme: “When you support a government it doesn’t mean you’re silenced and you can’t engage, that you question Can’t, that you can’t ask questions of national and local importance
“We have not changed our mind, but what we are doing is that we need a stable, secure, strong, solid government for the next five years and we are going to support that because we think That we can serve our constituencies and the country better by staying inside the government than outside.”
New Ceann Comhairle (Speaker) – also a regional independent – Verona Murphy, the first woman to hold the role, told TDs she would consider submissions opposing the plan, but the group ” “temporarily” allowed to take their original seats. .
