Dáil break may last from July 7 to end of September

The Taoiseach surprised his party colleagues last night by announcing that the Dáil will rise for three months despite the long absence during government formation talks.

The Dáil is due to break on July 7 and may not return until the end of September as renovations are carried out over the summer.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin last night hit out at the decision to rise for such a lengthy period.

“I think it’s too early and it’s too long,” he said. “It’s a surprise because that hasn’t been communicated to me.”

Despite the fact that no proper Dáil sat from the end of January, when the election was called, until this month when a government was finally formed, politicians will take a longer than usual break.

At a parliamentary party meeting yesterday Mr Kenny told Fine Gael members that the Dáil will rise on July 7, meaning the Dáil will have sat for less than two months before it breaks for the summer. Mr Kenny was unable to provide a return date and it may be well into September before TDs return to the Leinster House chamber as major structural repairs and renovations are carried out One Fine Gael TD said: “I think we were surprised by the announcement; nobody knew about it so it was a surprise.”

Last night chief whip Regina Doherty tweeted that “any schedule will be based around works being carried out” but that this will not affect committee sittings.

The recent gangland killings were also discussed at the parliamentary party meeting with a number of TDs calling for action to deal with the escalation in crime.

Fergus O’Dowd, Bernard Durkan, and Sean Barrett were among those who spoke out strongly at the meeting on the government response to the recent murders.

Bernard Durkan was put forward as Leas Ceann Comhairle at the meeting.