Gogarty urges Dáil sittings on Fridays

A CALL has been made for the Dáil to sit every Friday for the remainder of the lifetime of the Government.

Friday sittings would allow rural TDs in particular to meet the requirements of the new expenses-based system, obliging them to attend for 120 days a year out of a possible 150 to receive their full allowances, according to Green Party TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty.

The Dáil sits in plenary session for an average of just 90 days a year. Mr Gogarty said “some of the rural TDs will have a struggle to meet the new expenses requirement” and sitting on Friday would allow a lot more business to get done.

He wrote yesterday to Government Chief Whip John Curran requesting that the Dáil sit every Friday from the start of next term.

He said much of the working week was taken up with second-stage or introductory debates and statements. This prevented report-stage amendments being dealt with, and voted on if necessary, in an efficient manner.

He said legislation was then “sometimes rushed”. He believed second-stage business could be dealt with on Fridays, “with no votes scheduled until the following Tuesday”.

He also said: “Given that deputies from rural constituencies now need to attend the Dáil on Fridays from time to time to ensure they reach the target for the new attendance-based expenses scheme, I am sure that they would have no problem with this proposal.”

The Government Chief Whip acknowledged Mr Gogarty’s letter and said the Government “will consider a greater use of Friday sittings of the Dáil as part of an overall package of existing reforms” agreed by Cabinet last year. The reforms have not been implemented because of a lack of all-party agreement.