The Government has proposed controversial new changes to Dáil procedures that the opposition claim would result in Taoiseach Bertie Ahern avoiding difficult questions in the Dáil chamber.
Under the package of proposed reform of standing orders, the opposition would have to give prior notice of what they plan to ask the Taoiseach during leaders' questions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The Taoiseach would also be able to refer a question to a relevant minister to answer under the proposed reforms presented to the parties by the Government chief whip, Tom Kitt, a fortnight ago.
They propose the Taoiseach would not have to take the Order of Business on a Tuesday and Wednesday, when he normally can be asked questions on the status of Government plans or proposed legislation.
Instead Order of Business would be taken by Government whips and would effectively be confined to the legislative programme of Government.
Other proposed changes include the abolition of a standing order that allows any TD to seek to suspend Dáil business to discuss a matter of major importance. It is frequently used by backbench TDs as a way to mention local issues.
While the Government claimed last night the changes were aimed at streamlining Dáil business, they were strongly criticised by Fine Gael and Labour, which said it would reduce the obligation of the Taoiseach to answer to the Dáil.
Leaders' questions was one of the most significant reforms of Dáil procedure introduced four years ago, enabling opposition party leaders to question the Taoiseach in the Dáil on any major issue of their choice on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
However, this was controversially clawed back to just Tuesday and Wednesday two years ago in a deal with Labour that saw the opposition party maintaining its seniority over the combined forces of the technical group - the Greens,Sinn Féin and Independents.
Opposition parties also claimed last night that the proposed new reforms failed to address the underlying problem of the Dáil sitting too infrequently.
However, Tom Kitt, who drew up the proposals, defended the package as being reasonable and denied the Taoiseach was attempting to avoid answering to the Dáil. He said the Taoiseach's record of answering questions in the Dáil was better than many of his European counterparts.
"I've done an evaluation of his time and it compares very favourably with other leaders," he said
He claimed the proposed reforms would also give more time in the Dáil to debate legislation. He is also proposing longer sitting times for Tuesdays and Thursdays, but said a reduction in Dáil holidays was not needed.
"I've been going through this system in a very structured way," he said, adding he would introduce reforms on a consensus basis only.
Labour Party chief whip Emmet Stagg said the package, presented to the parties a fortnight ago, pointed to "a determined effort by the Government to kill off leaders' questions".
He also said Labour had "made an error of judgment" when it made the deal regarding leaders' questions in 2002.
Fine Gael chief whip Paul Kehoe said he was "totally, totally opposed" to the proposed changes. "What it's going to do is get rid of leaders' questions," he said.
Green Party chief whip Dan Boyle said his party was open to compromise, but only if there was major Dáil reform.