TDs vote for 12-week summer recess

The Dáil tonight voted for a 12-week summer recess until September 27.

A motion was carried despite opposition leaders’ pleas to curtail the break to give closer scrutiny to legislation and debate the Dalton Report, the Sullivan Report and the Barr Report.

Several Oireachtas Committees, including the new all-party Committee on Child Protection will sit in July and resume again in September after a break for August.

Government ministers are also due to attend meetings with Fianna Fáil backbenchers in the coming weeks to discuss party policy.

The Oireachtas Press Office said the Dáil sat for a total of 62 days and the Seanad sat for 53 days so far this year.

Some 47 bills were published with 18 enacted.

In excess of 23,000 Parliamentary Questions were answered with only 3.99% of all questions submitted being disallowed.

A total of 535 individual matters were raised on the adjournment in the Dáil.

A total of 18 statements were made in the Dáil with 27 in the Seanad.

More than 250 committee meetings were held since January, clocking up 500 hours.

Earlier in the Dáil, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said: “It is immensely damaging that we are not seen to take a reasonable break in line with other parliaments.

“Everybody is aware of that. Legislation has been introduced almost without notice and, in some cases, all stages have been taken together with no adequate opportunity to scrutinise it.

“That this House sits for an additional week and return in the middle of September is an eminently reasonable proposal and would avoid much of the negative commentary and coverage that the business of politics will attract as a result of the Government’s decision to shut down the House until September 27.

Greens leader Trevor Sargent said Westminster’s parliament sits for 55 more days that the Dáil.

“How can the Dáil justify sitting 96 days, not even reaching 100, while across the water parliament sitting another 55 days is considered normal?”

He said both parliaments had parity of esteem under the Good Friday Agreement and the Dáil needed to catch up with the UK.