The Dáil was suspended in chaos amid persistent heckling and interventions as the Opposition demanded that Taoiseach Brian Cowen come into the House and give a statement about a Cabinet reshuffle.
Tánaiste Mary Coughlan - who normally takes the Order of Business in the absence of the Taoiseach - insisted that under the Constitution, the Ministers who resigned from Cabinet were not deemed to have done so until the President accepted their resignations. She insisted that when those matters were complied with, the Taoiseach would address the House.
Opposition leaders repeatedly called for the Taoiseach to be present. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the situation where so many Ministers had resigned “would not have happened even in the days of great dictatorship”.
He said the Government was showing contempt for the Green Party who needed to “stop tweeting” and “step up to the plate”.
When he asked why the Taoiseach was not in the House, a number of Opposition TDs intervened with quips: “He’s looking for Ministers” and “he’s having tea with Paul Gogarty”.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the Constitution was very clear that the appointment of Ministers had to be approved by the Dáil.
"We have a flu epidemic we have people lying on hospitals in trolleys and the Minister for Health has taken to the hills, we have flights being cancelled in Aer Lingus and the Minister for Transport has resigned, we have problems for crime in many parts of the country and the two Ministers responsible for Justice and Defence are gone,” he said. “We have had quite serious commentary on this country by both President Sarkozy of France and by the President of the European Commission and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has gone.”
When he asked who did the Garda Commissioner report to if there was a serious crime issue, a Fine Gael backbencher quipped “phone Jackie” in reference to Kerry South Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae.
Mr Gilmore described the situation as a “cynical, grubby exercise in last minute jobbery”.
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the people of the country “couldn’t believe that further strokes could yet be played” by Fianna Fáil.
Ms Coughlan repeated that Ministers remain “until such time as the President has accepted those resignations and if and when these matters are complied with the Taoiseach of course will come to the House”.
Opposition leaders then demanded that the House be suspended until the Taoiseach came into the House to address the issue. When the Ceann Comhairle said he did not have power to suspend the House unless there was disorder, the Opposition erupted.
Fine Gael spokesman on children Charlie Flanagan insisted the Ceann Comhairle had the power to do so and had already threatened earlier to suspend the House. There was further rowdy heckling and the House was then suspended for 15 minutes.
Afterwards, Mr Kenny said he had written to the Taoiseach during the suspension and asked him to come into the House and inform the Dáil about what alternative arrangements had been made to fill ministerial vacancies.
Both Opposition leaders called on the Tánaiste to request a further suspension and following further heckling she conceded, asking the Ceann Comhairle to suspend the House for a second time until 1.30pm.