The Dáil will sit for an extra four days before TDs take almost six weeks' Christmas holidays, the Government chief whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, said yesterday. Arthur Beesley, Political Reporter, reports.
Fine Gael responded to confirmation of the long break last night by suggesting that TDs could come back a week earlier.
The Fine Gael whip, Mr Bernard Durkan, said he had no problem with the additional sittings announced yesterday by Ms Hanafin.
He said TDs could return from the Christmas break on January 21st instead of January 27th, "and it wouldn't create any problems for anybody".
Apart from four extra sitting days, Ms Hanafin has also scheduled a number of late sittings in the run-up to the suspension of the Dáil on December 18th.
The additional sittings come after the controversial mid-term break on the week of the October Bank Holiday, four sitting weeks after the end of the 13-week summer recess.
While additional sittings are normal at the end of term, they come after many Government TDs said in private that the October break was excessive and should be reviewed next year.
During the controversy about the break it was highlighted that TDs and senators are beneficiaries of the benchmarking pay award, which is conditional on better productivity. Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens have since published proposals to extend sitting times as part of their wider Dáil reform programmes.
Ms Hanafin circulated a revised Dáil timetable yesterday, confirming the additional sittings on the last two Fridays in November and the first two in December. Business will conclude at 4.30 p.m. on these Fridays.
Dáil business will close at 4.30 p.m. on December 18th, a week before Christmas day.