FINE GAEL'S decision to withdraw from pairing arrangements may force Taoiseach Brian Cowen to cancel his visit to New York this week to address the United Nations General Assembly, Government chief whip Pat Carey told The Irish Timeslast night.
Following the Government's refusal of a request from Fine Gael last week to clear the Dáil agenda for an emergency debate on the economy, the main Opposition party has tabled a motion for debate in Private Members' time today and tomorrow.
The new Dáil session starts today and Fine Gael chief whip Paul Kehoe said in a statement: "Reflecting the importance of this issue Fine Gael will not be granting pairs to Government deputies for the two days of the Fine Gael motion."
The single exception listed by Fine Gael is Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin who is accompanying President Mary McAleese on a State visit to Romania.
The Government has tabled a counter-motion. A vote is expected today on the Order of Business and a further vote in Private Members' time is due to take place tomorrow at 12.20pm.
The Taoiseach is due to travel to New York today to join other government leaders from around the world at the UN to reaffirm commitments to reaching the Millennium Development Goals on the reduction of poverty and disease by 2015.
Mr Carey said that, as of Monday evening "we had an understanding with Fine Gael that Ministers on official business would be paired". He added that Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had "sought the official diaries of the Ministers who are travelling abroad on official Government business".
"At 1.40pm I got a call from the Opposition whip to say that the leader of the Opposition had instructed that the only Minister who was to get a pair was Minister Hanafin." He spoke to the Taoiseach shortly after 5pm yesterday.
"We'll review the position in the morning. If we cannot guarantee a majority the Taoiseach will have to abandon his visit to the UN General Assembly which he is due to address on Thursday," Mr Carey said. He also pointed out that Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan is to attend the Competitiveness Council in Brussels tomorrow where important issues relating to small businesses are on the agenda and Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern is due to attend a Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Brussels to brief colleagues about the Irish position on mixed marriages.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin is already in the US where he is raising the issue of Irish visas with the Bush administration and it was "unlikely" he could be brought back in time.
Similarly Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power is at the UN20 for the World Hunger Summit. Others abroad include Minister of State Conor Lenihan who is in Tanzania on UN business and Minister for the Arts Martin Cullen who is in the US on a private visit.
Two backbenchers, John Cregan and Dr Michael Woods, are due to attend family weddings on the Continent; Minister of State Barry Andrews has important family business; the situation of former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who has not been attending the Dáil, remains unclear.
The death of Fianna Fáil TD Séamus Brennan earlier this year means the Government has a majority of 88 to the Opposition's 76 and the Ceann Comhairle would also normally vote with the Government. But the number of deputies who are unavailable means a Dáil vote could be tight.
The Government's legislative programme for the autumn session lists 19 Bills to be published between now and January 24th, including Bills for Employment Agency Regulation; Industrial Development; Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions); Inhumane Munitions; Adoption; Nursing Homes Support Scheme; Criminal Justice; Sale of Alcohol.
The Defamation Bill is due to go to the Justice Committee and is expected to become law by next Easter while the Privacy Bill remains "parked" in the Seanad with no indication that it is to be progressed further for the foreseeable future.
Other Bills listed on the autumn programme are: Gas (Amendment); Petroleum Exploration and Extraction (Safety); Industrial Relations Amendment; Appropriation; Finance (No 2); Child Care; Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions); Criminal Justice (Money Laundering); Property Services (Regulatory); Social Welfare; Merchant Shipping.
