It just doesn’t add up
Political parties argued over who was to blame for the poor public perception over TDs workloads and then headed off on for 11 days over Halloween.
Since Leinster House's return from the 14 week Summer break, eight TDs were in Australia playing rugby, a junior minister was playing golf in Spain, and numerous TDs and senators have been away on parliamentary trips abroad.
Tánaiste Mary Harney said the break was in line with the Government's family friendly policies. Notably, Ms Harney was the only PD in the Dáil as the Government voted through the break, much to the chagrin of the opposition.
PD chairman Noel Grealish and Fiona O'Malley are abroad with Oireachtas committee delegations and Mae Sexton was on private family business. The three other PD ministers, Michael McDowell, Tom Parlon and Tim O'Malley were on official business and Liz O'Donnell was at the Forum on Europe.
As the self-proclaimed watchdogs of Fianna Fáil, the PDs were accused of failing in their duty to uphold standards in Government, said Labour spokesman Eamon Gilmore. "They have stopped barking a long time ago and they couldn't even get themselves out of the dog house this morning."
Yet Liz O'Donnell said the attack showed the hollowness of the opposition. "If that is the best they can do, then the Government need not worry," she said.
Across in the Seanad, Senate leader Mary O'Rourke also lashed out at senators from opposition parties who objected to the break. "Your own members don't want to meet.
"So stop that crap," she said.
TDs have only sat in Dáil Éireann for 12 days since returning from a 14 week break over the Summer and in total during this calendar year, the Dáil will only sit for 94 days.
Despite the dramatic increase in TDs pay and the abolition of the dual mandate, Dáil Éireann still only sits three days a week for around 30 weeks of the year.
TD's salaries will grow to almost three and a half times the average workers annual wage by 2005.
Currently, the average industrial wage is €27,000, but by 2005, TDs' pay will have increased to €91,800 - a pay hike of €42,000 over just five years.
TDs expenses and travel and subsistence allowances have become far more generous in recent years.
Since the general election last year, Dáil Éireann sat for an average of just one-and-a-half days a week, making it one of the least active parliaments in Europe. According to Assistant Government Chief Whip Billy Kelliher, a Dáil reform package is currently being prepared with all the parties putting forward proposals.
The mid-term break was the decision of the House, rather than the Government, said the Fianna Fáil TD.
Defending the number of days the Dáil sits, Deputy Kelliher said that eight Oireachtas committees would be sitting next week with committees also sitting during the Summer months. Aside from that, TDs were working in their constituencies when the Dáil was not sitting.
The average five-day-a-week, nine to five worker will work for 232 days this year.
According to the Central Statistics Office, workers are entitled to the following paid-leave holidays:
Four days a week job 16 days
Five days a week job 20 days
Six days a week job 24 days
Plus nine public holidays
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