TDs’ three-day week is not value for money

IT is the third week of January and while most of us are back at work, our TDs are still on holiday. They claim to work hard, so how do they compare with, say, MPs in Britain?

In 2006 the Dáil sat for 96 days, compared with 138 days for the House of Commons. The Dáil working week is typically Tuesday to Thursday, compared with Monday to Thursday for the House of Commons, which also sometimes sits on Fridays.

In 2006 the Dáil sat for only two four-day weeks and no five-day weeks. In comparison, the House of Commons sat for 21 four-day weeks and eight five-day weeks.