Paul Hosford: TDs go back to the future as new Dáil term begins

A Fine Gael vs Sinn Féin skirmish? Check. House suspended? Check. Going by its first day back, the 33rd Dáil's last full year looks remarkably like last year really

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl was kept busy on Wednesday, rebuking Bríd Smith for her reference to Nazism, and suspending the Dáil after back and forth with Richard Boyd Barrett just an hour into the new term. File picture: Pool/Maxwells

The first day of the Dáil term post-Christmas isn’t exactly like the first day back at school, not least since schools returned from holidays much, much earlier. 

There was certainly no sign of any festive cheer as the last full year of this Dáil kicked off.