The Dail was adjourned amid uproar for 20 minutes, as the Opposition demanded that the changes in the Budget be announced to the House. Fianna Fail deputies had earlier been told about them.

At the start of Taoiseach's Question Time, at 2.30 p.m., the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, should have had the courtesy to correct the detail of the Budget.

When the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, said the matter could not be dealt with at Question Time, Mr Quinn recalled the Taoiseach had said that if the Budget was to be recast, it should be announced in the House.

"Deputy, you are out of order," said Dr O'Hanlon. "You may raise a point of order at some time but not during Question Time."

Mr Quinn responded: "When is the best time to ask a question if not at Question Time?"

Amid further exchanges, Mr Quinn said the Budget had been rewritten and privately announced to the Fianna Fail parliamentary party and not on the floor of the House. "My request is that the Minister for Finance comes into the House and announces his Uturn. That is all."

Dr O'Hanlon said it was obvious Mr Quinn wished the sitting to be suspended. He adjourned the House for 20 minutes, until 3 p.m.

When the House resumed, Mr Quinn again pressed for a Dail statement from the Minister for Finance. Dr O'Hanlon said there was a longstanding precedent that there were not interruptions at Question Time. Mr Quinn said there was also a longstanding precedent that budgets were outlined to the House.

Dr O'Hanlon warned that he would suspend the House until the end of Question Time, at 4.15p.m., if order was not restored.

Later, as Question Time progressed, the Labour leader again raised the matter. Amid renewed exchanges, Dr O'Hanlon said Mr Quinn had questioned his impartiality and should withdraw the charge. Mr Quinn said he would.