Dáil term to end a week earlier than planned

With high salaries, pay rises, and a generous expenses regime, one could be forgiven for thinking Christmas comes early 365 days a year for Ireland’s politicians.

However, this festive season, the comment will be reflected on the calendar and not just in TDs’ pockets, after a Dáil committee agreed to close parliament a week earlier than planned.

The decision was made by the cross-party business committee last Thursday in response to the decision last month to sit for two days during the mid-term Halloween break.

As the existing Dáil schedule for this year was based on a 12-week working agenda from September until December, the mid-term week sitting meant the original timetable was no longer in place.

And, with Dáil staff also contacting their unions over the fact that their mid-term break plans were suddenly cancelled by last month’s developments, it has been decided to finish the term one week early to bring the schedule back into line.

A number of business committee TDs said last night that while the decision means the pre-winter Dáil term will now end on the week ending Friday, December 16 instead of December 23, the same amount of parliamentary work will still take place.