Irish Parliament Fails to Elect Taoiseach Amid Opposition Disputes

The Irish parliament, or Dáil, failed to elect Micheal Martin as the new Taoiseach due to a chaotic dispute over opposition speaking rights. Martin, leader of Fianna Fáil, was poised to take office after his party formed a coalition with Fine Gael and several independents. However, opposition parties, led by Sinn Féin, blocked the vote, claiming that independents supporting the government should not receive opposition speaking time. This led to multiple suspensions and adjournments during the parliamentary session, with accusations of 'farcical' behavior from government leaders. The Dáil is expected to reconvene to resolve the issue and proceed with the nomination process. The ongoing row highlights tensions regarding parliamentary rules and the distribution of speaking time among parties.