Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness has been elected as Leas-Cheann Comhairle of the Dáil.
He won against Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh by 96 votes to 66.
The result came after two hours of counting following the secret ballot in the Dáil chamber.
Meanwhile Fine Gael Senator Maria Byrne was elected Leas Chathaoirleach of the Seanad by 36 votes to 15, in a public vote, defeating Independent Senator Eileen Flynn, a campaigner for Travellers and minority rights.
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Six Independent Senators led by Senator Michael McDowell abstained in the vote. Mr McDowell, an advocate of Seanad reform, said he was not going to vote because then taoiseach Leo Varadkar had broken his 2018 promise to reform the Upper House, including the introduction of a secret ballot for the Leas Chathaoirleach role.
In the Dáil Mr McGuinness a Carlow-Kilkenny TD since 1997 and former minister of state, said he believed the status quo had to be challenged. “I believe disruptors in the system are necessary because we can’t become complacent in the work that we do on behalf of the people that elect us.”
He added that the rights of members had to be defended at all times and speaking about the use of Irish in the chamber, he said he was not fluent in Gaeilge but “I have a great love for the Irish language and will use it occasionally as best I can.
“I would say to all of the Members here that there is no embarrassment about not being able to speak the Irish language fluently and we should try it every time we get the opportunity.”
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To laughter, he said: “However, to be respectful to everyone, if you do say something in Irish in the middle of a heated debate, it might be no harm if you repeated it in English thereafter. It might avoid a lot of work on committees and debate in this House.”
Mr Ó Snodaigh who was brought up speaking Irish, said that “in a bilingual House with two official languages we need a Chair who can monitor and, if necessary, step in and apply the rules and protections of this House equally to everyone, whether it be as Gaeilge nó as Béarla.”
He said: “Gaeilge was my first language. I could not speak English properly until I was seven.”
There was laughter when he said “most people say I cannot speak it probably still, but I am most comfortable speaking Irish. I work in Irish. I think in Irish.”
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He added that “I am happy I am not the only Teachta Dála who grew up speaking Gaeilge. Many of the new TDs elected to this Dáil did so and are, in fact, raising their children and the families as Gaeilge. One of the first things an Irish-speaking child learns is, “ná inis bréag”. Every Irish speaker, and most English speakers, also know what this means by second nature because Irish is a living language, not just a mysterious museum exhibit that needs to be discussed in academic terms with erroneous references to dictionary entries.
“If I am elected, I pledge not to inis bréag to the Ceann Comhairle or as Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will operate in all the languages I have, which is Irish and English, and I will treat everybody here equally in both of those languages.”
Both Mr McGuinness and Mr Ó Snodaigh ran against Verona Murphy for the role of Ceann Comhairle. The Leas Cheann Comhairle position has a salary of €175,571 a year, compared to a TD’s income of €113,679.
A Senator earns €79,614 with an additional €31,965 for the Leas Chathaoirleach role,
