Government red-faced over TD shortage

THE Government was embarrassed yesterday when it failed to muster enough TDs to prevent the day’s Dáil session collapsing.

In a surprise move at 3:30pm yesterday afternoon Labour's environment spokesperson Eamon Gilmore caught the Government by surprise by calling a quorum.

Under Oireachtas rules the Government must have 20 sitting TDs in the Dáil when a quorum is called. However, the best the Government could manage was 12 including the Taoiseach.