TDs in festive mood as country faces its worst crisis for generations

NOBODY does more to undermine the authority of the Dáil than the politicians employed there.

How can we take seriously a publicly elected body that votes to take a 39-day holiday for itself over the Christmas period? The 166 TDs finished up at 5pm last evening and they won’t be back in the state’s primary debating chamber until January 27 (although they’ll be attending a special Mansion House anniversary for a few hours the week before). Lucky them. No other parliamentary democracy in the western world would tolerate such outrageous behaviour by its elected politicians.

Not France, where parliamentarians are allowed 13 days off, which seems about right to me. It would seem reasonable to finish work next Tuesday and then be back in the Dáil on Monday, January 5.