Northern Ireland political editor<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Fianna Fail leader Miche\u00e1l Martin has been elected taoiseach (Irish prime minister) for the second time after chaos in the D\u00e1il (lower house of Irish Parliament) subsided.<\/p>\n The D\u00e1il was suspended several times on Wednesday after a bitter row between government and opposition parties.<\/p>\n Martin is one of the longest serving TDs (MPs) in the D\u00e1il having been first elected in 1989 to the constituency of Cork south central and was previously taoiseach between 2020 and 2022.<\/p>\n He will now hold that office until 2027 when Fine Gael leader Simon Harris is due take over.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Martin was due to be elected taoiseach on Wednesday but there were chaotic scenes in the chamber.<\/p>\n Sinn F\u00e9in and other opposition TDs (MPs) had voiced their anger at plans to allow independents who are supporting the government to sit on the opposition benches.<\/p>\n Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael emerged as the largest and third-largest parties respectively following November’s election and committed to returning to government together.<\/p>\n However after the Green Party – their coalition partner from 2020-2024 – was reduced to a single seat, they gathered the support of a small group of independent TDs.<\/p>\n This was necessary to give them a majority in the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n Sinn F\u00e9in remains the largest opposition party after winning 39 seats. <\/p>\n Controversy began after four of the independent TDs who had agreed to support the government wanted to form a “technical group” along with two other independent TDs which would allow them speaking time and other rights from the opposition benches.<\/p>\n This group would be known as the Regional Independent Group.<\/p>\n Ceann Comhairle (Speaker) Verona Murphy said she would consider submissions opposing the plan, but permitted the group to “provisionally” take their original seats for now.<\/p>\n All other opposition groups are against the idea, saying the independents who were supporting the government wanted to be in government and opposition at the same time and were taking time away from those who wish to scrutinise the government.<\/p>\n Discussions took place throughout Wednesday to try to find a solution but the talks failed.<\/p>\n There were bitter exchanges across the chamber on a number of occasions before Murphy said proceedings would resume on Thursday morning as she was shouted down by opposition TDs.<\/p>\n As Murphy returned to the chamber at 16:00 after a number of suspensions, opposition TDs rose to their feet.<\/p>\n The ceann comhairle then abandoned plans to elect a taoiseach, with proceedings ending in shouting between TDs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On Thursday morning Ceann Comhairle (Speaker) Verona Murphy ruled that those independent TDs supporting the government would not be given a status of an opposition technical group for the day’s D\u00e1il sitting.<\/p>\n The government also committed to addressing some of the issues raised by the opposition parties<\/p>\n Welcoming the move, Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald said the government has now “finally acknowledged that there has to be differentiation between government and opposition and no TD can be in government and opposition”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Harris said the disruption on Wednesday was utterly farcical, describing it as an effort to “obstruct and shout down, to disrespect the Ceann Comhairle and the constitutional office”.<\/p>\n Martin said the delays were a “premeditated, coordinated and a choreographed position by the opposition, in particular the Sinn F\u00e9in party”.<\/p>\n However McDonald claimed the government had “demonstrated incredible arrogance”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In his acceptance speech, Martin said that it was “a sad development in many parliaments in the world that they have become more angry and divisive. <\/p>\n “They have become forums dominated by the inflated rhetoric of demonstrations rather than a place where different groups can argue in good faith and respectfully disagree,” he said.<\/p>\n He added it was the anniversary of the death of his father Paddy.<\/p>\n “This week every year I remember all he did for us and the values which he lived by every day,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Martin has served in many ministerial positions under previous governments including minister for foreign affairs and health minister<\/p>\n Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald was also nominated to the position of Taoiseach but failed to win enough support.<\/p>\n This afternoon the new taoiseach will receive his seal of office from President Michael D Higgins<\/p>\n He will then return to the Leinster House to appoint ministers to the new Irish cabinet<\/p>\n There are 15 ministerial position to be filled and 23 junior minister roles<\/p>\n Martin and Harris confirmed the new draft programme for government earlier in January.<\/a><\/p>\n The deal paved the way for the next government and was successfully endorsed by both parties in recent days.<\/p>\n Both Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael ruled out Sinn F\u00e9in as a coalition partner, which party leader Mary Lou McDonald called “bad practice”.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Analysis: Enda McClafferty, political editor<\/b><\/p>\n It is not the start Michael Martin wanted or expected as he returned to the taoiseach office for the second time<\/p>\n His election was delayed by 24 hours after yesterday’s chaotic scenes in the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n The scars of that bruising session have set the tone for the new D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n But Martin is a seasoned politician and has weathered many political storms<\/p>\n He will though be tested given the scale of the challenges facing the new government in dealing with the housing and health crisis<\/p>\n Not to mention the potential economic fallout from the return of another political leader to power this week \u2013 US President Donald Trump<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"PA](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/b242\/live\/efee7710-d992-11ef-a7d7-813810cd836f.jpg.webp\")
PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c5cd\/live\/974dbef0-d95f-11ef-968b-2da667d2a722.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat happened on Wednesday?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
What changed on Thursday?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Appointment process<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Scenes not witnessed in a century<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n