Tánaiste defends length of Dáil recess

TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan has staunchly defended the Government and the nine weeks’ Dáil summer recess in the face of repeated Opposition criticism, describing the Cabinet as “lean, mean” and “very fit for purpose”.

To cheers and heckles, Ms Coughlan also suggested to Labour leader Eamon Gilmore that “you could always be enticed outside to prove it, but I don’t think we’ll do that”.

Mr Gilmore had described the Government as “tired, exhausted, bruised, beaten and battered”.

The House adjourned yesterday until Wednesday, September 16th, although a number of parliamentary committees will sit until the end of July.

Through a lengthy order of business and four votes about legislative guillotines and the summer holiday recess, there were some sharp exchanges, heckling and end-of-term banter. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said to TDs on the Government benches that “I know you’re all anxious to get away out of this place when you [have been] lambasted, embarrassed and beaten down after what has been one of the most lamentable performances by a Government in the last 35 years”.

He identified a number of Bills that were listed for publication but said the Dáil had not been given a reason why almost half of them had not been published.

Mr Kenny renewed criticism of the speed with which the criminal justice legislation was being dealt with, warning that the House had a duty “to debate and tease out the implications of the amendments to Bills in a proper, thorough and fitting fashion”.

Mr Gilmore said that if the Government needed “a break from the exertions of governing, then they can be facilitated with a break for much longer than nine weeks”.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said: “The Government has the country scundered and that is the bottom line on it.”

The Opposition could not agree that the Government “head off for a nine-week break to shower their heads”, he said.

Ms Coughlan said, however, that it was Sinn Féin that was “scundered, Fine Gael are in a lament, and I have to tell the leader of the Labour party that, contrary to his view, the Government is lean, mean, very fit for purpose”.

Ms Coughlan told the House that a considerable amount of legislation had been brought forward and had gone through the House, and the Cabinet would deal with more legislation this month.