Fine Gael and Sinn Féin have called on the Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue to step down from his position immediately following his announcement that he will resign his position next week.
Mr O’Donoghue announced his decision at 10.30pm last night, saying he will make a statement to the Dáil when he steps down next week.
Speaking this afternoon, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan said he was "very, very disappointed" that Labour leader Eamon Gilmore put forward a motion of no confidence in Mr O'Donoghue at a time when the expenses issue was before the Oireachtas Commission. "That was not acceptable practice," he said.
"The other point I'd like to make is that the Ceann Comhairle is not in a position to defend himself. He's in the same position as a judge or the president of Ireland. A motion was tabled in regard to him before he got the opportunity to explain the position to the people who paid him the expenses. You wouldn't treat a member of a trade union like that, or a worker, or there'd be a general strike.
"I don't think there was a great dignity about it, and I don't think it was a great day for Irish politics," Mr Lenihan said.
"The expenses which Deputy Gilmore took a stand on the Six O'Clock Newsyesterday were his [Mr O'Donoghue's] expenses as Ceann Comhairle, and the Ceann Comhairle made clear he wanted to explain that position to those who paid those expenses, who included members of Deputy Gilmore's party, and I think that was the correct procedure, but listen there's not point arguing about procedure now - it's over.
"There isn't much point having an all-party Commission running the Oireachtas if the parties are going to remove the head of that Commission without any notice," the Minister said.
Earlier today, Fine Gael’s Alan Shatter said Mr O’Donoghue should resign immediately to restore credibility to the office of Ceann Comhairle.
Mr Shatter said the only reason Mr O’Donoghue needs to stay in office until next Tuesday is to await a Green Party decision on Saturday about whether or not to pull out of Government.
“If they walk out of Government by staying on until next Tuesday John O’Donoghue gets the golden handshake of a Dáil seat in the next election - that’s the only consideration here,” Mr Shatter said.
Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and the party's president Gerry Adams also said Mr O’Donoghue’s resignation should be effective from today. Mr Adams said Mr O'Donoghue was "not alone in wastefully spending large sums of taxpayers’ money".
He said there had been a "culture of extravagance and greed within government which predates the 12 years of this Fianna Fáil administration".
“There should be no delay in his resignation. It should take affect immediately. Any other stance is an abuse of the position."
However, Labour’s Pat Rabbitte said he had no problem with the delay in Mr O’Donoghue’s resignation. “If the outgoing Ceann Comhairle wants to organise his affairs I certainly have no objection to that - it’s not an act of vindictiveness and I don’t see any point in making a fuss in whether he resigns today or whether he resigns next Tuesday,” he said.
Mr O’Donoghue’s decision to step down came after Mr Gilmore, the Labour Party leader, bluntly told him it was time to go in the Dáil yesterday.
“I regret to say this but I consider that your position is no longer tenable. I think you will either have to resign or be removed from office,” Mr Gilmore told the Ceann Comhairle across the tension-filled chamber.
At a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last night, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan argued that Mr O’Donoghue should have been given the opportunity to explain himself to the Oireachtas Commission, but Mr Gilmore’s intervention set the wheels in motion for his departure.
The Labour leader rejected the view that the appropriate forum to deal with the matter was the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, the body that runs the Dáil and Seanad.
This course had been suggested last weekend by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny who called on Mr O’Donoghue to reduce his staff, dispense with his special adviser and pay back any expenses not related to his official duties as Ceann Comhairle.
This morning Mr O’Donoghue’s cousin Michael O’Shea said the decision of Opposition parties to “go for the head” of the Ceann Comhairle before he had a chance to defend himself was “wrong and appalling”.
The Fianna Fáil Kerry county councillor said Mr O’Donoghue should have been afforded time to explain his actions before an Oireachtas Commission as he could not do so in the Dáil while in the position of Ceann Comhairle.
“He should have been left to explain and then the opposition parties when they heard his side of the story could adjudicate,"Mr O’Shea said in an interview with RTÉ radio. “I think it’s appalling that he has been forced out without been given the opportunity to explain his story."
Mr O’Shea defended Mr O’Donoghue saying he had done “nothing wrong” before adding the whole issue of ministers travelling abroad needed to be looked at. “People should be asking questions of the people who book these flights and book these ventures…they should be before the public accounts committee.”
Taoiseach Brian Cowen last night said Mr O’Donoghue had acted in the interests of Dáil Éireann, and the office of Ceann Comhairle.
Mr Cowen said: “He has been a most effective and fair Ceann Comhairle who has acted with commitment and integrity to ensure that the members of Dáil Éireann could debate freely and fairly the issues of the day.”
“The Ceann Comhairle has indicated that he wishes to make a statement to the House next week, I respect his right to do that. I thank him for his contribution to this Dáil as Ceann Comhairle and I wish him well for the future.”
As Ceann Comhairle, Mr O’Donoghue automatically retains his Dáil seat if an election is called.
Mr O’Donoghue (53) was first elected to the Dáil in 1987 and was a cabinet Minister from 1997 until 2007, when he was appointed to the office of Ceann Comhairle.
His wife, Kate Ann, who accompanied him on many of his official trips which have become a source of controversy, is the daughter of the late Michael Pat Murphy, Labour TD for Cork South West from 1951 to 1981.
The Opposition was initially reluctant to raise the issue of Mr O’Donoghue’s expenses because of the independence of the office of Ceann Comhairle and also because he was regarded on all sides of the Dáil as a fair and impartial chairman.