The Government suffered increased Opposition criticism today for adjourning the Dáil to coincide with the school system's mid-term break next week.
Labour Party leader Mr Pat Rabbitte condemned Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and his Ministers for taking the break just four weeks after their summer recess ended.
He said: "Next week is one of the most critical periods in the peace process in Northern Ireland. The situation is extremely fragile. The Government is happy to welcome the support of the Opposition in respect of Northern Ireland.
"But in the most critical week of the peace process in recent times we are not going to be able to even ask a question because the Taoiseach and his Ministers won't be in the Dáil chamber. It has to stop," he said.
Although the Dáil only returned from its three-month summer recess on September 30th, it adjourned yesterday for a week-long break.
Mr Rabbitte accused Mr Ahern and his Ministers of not wanting to be held accountable for their decisions. "They don't want to make themselves amenable to the Dáil only in so far as they constitutionally have to do it," he said on RTÉ's Morning Irelandradio show.
"They don't want to answer questions, they want to avoid being in the Dáil."
But Leader of the Seanad Mrs Mary O'Rourke defended the decision on the same programme. She accused Opposition parties of hypocrisy, saying that they secretly welcomed the break.
Ms O'Rourke said: "The very same people who were taunting us about having the week were people who had been going around saying 'Are we having a week off? Oh good'. I hate hypocrisy."
She said one of the reasons for the break was that it coincided with school holidays - but she denied that parliamentary work was being driven by the school calendar.