Dáil to sit for just 12 hours per week due to Covid-19 fears

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Taoiseach Micheál Martin inside the Convention Centre Dublin. Picture: Maxwells

The Dáil will sit for just 12 hours per week with no public committees until further notice.

The Dáil Business committee held a meeting this morning to establish new sitting hours and protocols while the country battles the third wave of Covid-19.

Sources confirm there was a "general consensus" that the Dáil will sit with just 45 members in Dublin's Convention Centre for now, except where there are votes on legislation and full numbers may be required. 

The state pays €25,000 per day to host the Oireachtas in the 2,000-seat centre.

An agreement was reached to hold just two six-hour days for Dáil sessions, starting on Wednesday and Thursday of next week, after it was strongly requested by Clerk of Dáil Éireann Peter Finnegan to minimise risk to staff whose safety, he said, can be ensured if the shift is limited to six hours.

It's understood almost all of the opposition noted that they wanted to see a three-day week after next week, increasing sitting time to 18 hours of Dáil business from 12, but still reduced from the normal 32 hours. 

However, no agreement on the issue was reached and it will be discussed again next week.

A request to waive pre-legislative scrutiny has been referred to the relevant committees who can decide to either reject or expedite their pre-legislative scrutiny.

Sources say chief whip Jack Chambers gave a commitment that the Government will allocate time in the Dáil for discussion of the Mother and Baby Homes report when it is published, likely next week. 

However, he did not state definitively when it would be published.

It was also agreed there will be no public committee meetings next week, in order for staff to assess the health and safety of committee meetings being held in meeting rooms.

A proposed schedule for next week is due to be circulated later on Thursday, and it is expected that time will be set aside for the Dáil to debate the ongoing issues around education, schools, and the Leaving Certificate.