The Dáil failed to nominate a new taoiseach on Wednesday following a row on speaking time.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin had been poised to become the next taoiseach after agreeing a Programme for Government with the Fine Gael party and a selection of independents.
However, a dispute over whether some of those independents would be allocated opposition speaking time ended Wednesday’s proceedings without a new taoiseach.
The Dáil sitting to nominate a new taoiseach was delayed for hours to allow for talks on resolving the dispute.
Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton addressed the chamber after 4.25pm and said the nomination process should proceed.
Fianna Fáil TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach.
Members of Sinn Féin – including leader Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn – continued to interrupt the sitting.
Mr Doherty described the Ceann Comhairle’s attempts to proceed as a “disgrace”, while Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was “outrageous”.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy adjourned the Dáil until 9am on Thursday, ending a day of chaos inside the chamber which saw multiple suspensions and adjournments.
Here are the live Dáil updates BreakingNews provided throughout the day...
4.30pm
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has adjourned Dáil proceedings until tomorrow at 9am following widespread disorder on the opposition benches as the row over speaking time continues.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was due to be formally nominated for the position of Taoiseach but the continued disorder caused by the speaking time disagreement delayed proceedings.
Multiple suspensions were called throughout the day by Murphy.
4.15pm
The Dáil has resumed after multiple suspensions were called following widespread disorder.
The row concerning speaking time continues, and comes down to whether Independent TDs, who have agreed to support the incoming government, should be allowed to join opposition technical groups for the purposes of speaking time.
Several Sinn Féin representatives had objected to government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business.
Meanwhile, Aontú has left the Dáil's Regional Technical Group - and will join the group which contains the Independent Ireland party.
2.55pm
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has had to call multiple suspensions amid widespread disorder on the opposition benches as the row over speaking time continues.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin had been poised to become Taoiseach after his party agreed a Programme for Government with Fine Gael and a selection of independent TDs to secure a majority.
However, the agreement with the independents sparked an enormous row over rules on speaking time which delayed the proceedings.
1.25pm
The Dáil has been suspended until 2pm to allow the party whips see if the issues between them can be resolved.
1.05pm
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has deleted a post on X in which she congratulated Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin on his appointment as taoiseach, which has not yet happened.
Ms von der Leyen had posted a picture of the pair with a caption that included: “Looking forward to working with you again.”
Mr Martin has yet to be formally nominated for the position in the Dáil after it was suspended twice today already.
12.50pm
Opposition parties have called for a meeting of the Dáil Business Committee to resolve a dispute over speaking time.
The Dáil has been suspended twice today already, delaying the nomination of the next taoiseach.
The dispute centres around whether Independent TDs who have agreed to support the incoming government should be allowed to join opposition technical groups for the purposes of speaking time.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has allowed this on an interim basis, adding that she would take submissions on the dispute and make a decision before February 5th.
Opposition TDs have also criticised the government proposal to push back the next sitting of the Dáil to February 5th.
Meanwhile, Independent Ireland representatives have argued Ms Murphy has a “conflict of interest” as she had been nominated to the role of Ceann Comhairle by regional independents.
12.25pm
Despite the delay to proceedings so far, we are still expecting Micheál Martin to be nominated as taoiseach this afternoon.
As Mr Martin takes up the role again and Simon Harris prepares for a stint handling foreign affairs, trade and defence, we have profiled some of the TDs who could be in line for a ministerial role.
Read more: Minister profiles – the fresh and familiar figures tipped for Cabinet roles
12.00pm
The Dáil resumed for a brief time before 12pm, but Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy suspended proceedings again two minutes later.
Ms Murphy said she would deal with the dispute over speaking time “expeditiously”.
She said this meant before February 5th, when the Dáil is planned to return after today’s proceedings.
Following further disruptions relating to the speaking-time dispute from members of Sinn Féin and People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, Ms Murphy suspended the Dáil for a further 30 minutes.
11.25am
The Dáil has been suspended for 15 minutes by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy amid angry scenes over speaking rights for the opposition.
Several Sinn Féin representatives had objected to government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business.
In particular, they noted that Sinn Féin had received more seats than Fine Gael in the election.
Sinn Féin chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn had called for the Dáil to be suspended for an urgent meeting of the Business Committee over the dispute.
As Mr Mac Lochlainn’s party colleague Matt Carthy continued making objections, Ms Murphy said she would suspend the Dáil for 15 minutes
She made the decision after Mr Carthy did not return to his seat and the suspension was not for Sinn Féin’s request of a meeting of the Business Committee.
Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit also criticised the decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to be allocated opposition speaking time.
Labour’s Duncan Smith said the public was angry about the arrangement.
“They are really angry. And I would like you, Ceann Comhairle, to commit a deadline as to when you will make an adjudication upon the joint opposition submission on this matter and make a decision that is in the goodness of the entire parliament and every member in this House.
“Us in opposition believe there is only one answer to that question,” he said.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the arrangement was “ludicrous”.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it was a “farcical start” to the new Dáil term.
11.20am
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald will be allowed to speak following her anticipated nomination to be taoiseach in the Dáil.
It follows a dispute over speaking time for Wednesday’s proceedings, in which Sinn Féin claimed Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had sought to block Ms McDonald from speaking.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy noted precedent whereby Ms McDonald spoke in 2020 following her nomination for the position of taoiseach on that occasion.
Ms Murphy agreed that the same time will be allowed to the leader of Sinn Féin on Wednesday.
A majority of TDs are expected to back the nomination of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to become taoiseach.
11.15am
Michael Lowry, who chaired the Regional Independent Group during the government formation negotiations, said the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform will make a decision on the group’s request to sit on the Dáil’s opposition benches.
“The Ceann Comhairle has been referred for advice and, as of today, we will sit (on the opposition benches) and then it will go to the Reform Committee of the Dáil, and the committee will make a decision and we will come back for a full ratification,” he told reporters.

“That will happen in the next couple of weeks.
“Fianna Fáil did that in their confidence-and-supply arrangement. I’ve been here for 25 years, Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar, I supported them all through opposition and I will do the same.
“It will be an issue for the Dáil Reform Committee and when that decision is taken, we will get on with the business.”
Read more: Michael Lowry – the controversy over Moriarty Tribunal and his role in government talks
11.05am
Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae rejected claims that “controversy” surrounds members of the Regional Independents Group seeking speaking time in the Dáil on the opposition benches.
Arriving at Leinster House in Dublin, he said: “There is no controversy because, if things were to be different there would actually be a change made to what exists already, because in 2016 there was a confidence-and-supply arrangement.

“Fianna Fáil were supporting the government at that time but then they were also raising issues on the floor of the Dáil.
“In 2022 you had TDs who were supporting the government and they were also entitled to stand up and raise issues on the floor of the Dáil, so this whole controversy, as far as I can see, what they are looking for is to change things to make them different as to what they were.
“The system that is there allows for this to happens and what the Ceann Comhairle is doing is allowing that to continue.
“There is nothing unusual about it, that a person supports the government and at the same time they have the right and entitlement to stand up in in the Dáil and ask questions and raise issues about that government.”
10.55am
Micheál Martin is poised to become the next taoiseach as the Dáil meets this morning to nominate a new head of government.
After weeks of government formation talks, Fianna Fáil has agreed to re-enter into a coalition with Fine Gael.
The two parties combined are just shy of a majority in the Dáil and will be supported by several Independent TDs for the five-year term, following lengthy negotiations.
The Dáil will meet from 11am today where Mr Martin will be formally nominated as taoiseach.
Follow all of the developments live here on breakingnews.ie.