Sinn Féin almost vote against own amendment due to question asked in Irish

An unusual moment happened in the Dáil (Irish parliament) on Wednesday as Sinn Féin appeared to vote against their own amendment to a government amendment during a cost of living debate.

At the end of the debate Ceann Comhairle (speaker) Verona Murphy asked in Irish if they agreed to the amendment to which the Sinn Féin TDs (MP) did not agree.

Aontú leader Peader Tóibín then interjected and said "they're backwards there" pointing out that they had not agreed with their own amendment.

Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn then added that he has "no fluent Irish" and Murphy then asked the question again in English.

"We'll do it in English as they say," Murphy said.

The moment sparked laughter in the chamber as Murphy asked the question to which the Sinn Féin TDs then agreed to the amendment.

It was then postponed by Murphy to the weekly division for next week.

The debate was on Tóibín's motion on cost of living to which the government had submitted an amendment as had Sinn Féin.

The Sinn Féin amendment was announced in the Dáil by deputy leader Pearse Doherty, who is a fluent Irish language speaker from the County Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish language speaking region), in Irish then English.

He, however, was not in the chamber when it came to voting on the amendment.

Sinn Féin have been contacted for comment.

Tóibín told BBC News NI he "stepped in to save their blushes".

"For Irish republicans, the Irish language is at the core of our identity and heritage. It is an expression of patriotism.

"For Irish republican party Sinn Féin, it's assumed to be in their political DNA."

He added that he was "initially perplexed as to why" they voted against their own amendment.

"It was beyond belief it could be because none of the Sinn Féin TDs present had enough Irish to understand what was going on."

It is not the first time the Irish language in the Dáil has been in the news.

In February 2025, the Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) and the leader of the opposition were embroiled in a row over "telling lies".

It followed a clash about the housing crisis in the Republic of Ireland.

Responding to stinging criticism from the Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke in Irish and said McDonald was "ag insint bréaga", which translates into English as "is telling lies".

Dáil Standing Orders debar any member from accusing another TD of being "a liar, lying or telling a lie".

The Taoiseach insisted that he never called the Sinn Féin leader a liar.

The Irish language is recognised as the country's first official language.

It had been suggested during the controversy that Verona Murphy, may not have fully understood or heard what the Taoiseach had said when he spoke in Irish while addressing the Sinn Féin leader.

Martin later refused to apologise saying: "I cannot withdraw a remark I did not make."