Fine Gael plans disruptive action in committee dispute

FINE GAEL will this week escalate its campaign of disruptive action in the Dáil over government plans to increase the number of Oireachtas committees from 18 to 21.

Fine Gael’s acting whip, Dan Neville, will meet government chief whip Tom Kitt early this morning to discuss the bitter stand-off caused by opposition claims that they are under-represented on committees.

Fine Gael currently holds two chairs of Oireachtas committees with Labour holding one. However, they argue that they should be entitled to far more than that. Fine Gael says that by rights that it should be chairing seven committees, not two.