Government defeats proposal to shorten Dail's three-week break

The Government voted down a Labour proposal that the Dáil shorten its three-week Easter break amid sharp exchanges with the Tánaiste. The House adjourned yesterday until Wednesday, May 7th.

Ms Harney, defending the adjournment, said the House would be in recess for the equivalent of two "Dáil weeks" as well as today. "I do not believe that is excessive," she added. "During those weeks, committees will sit." Ms Harney said that the House had passed 15 Bills during the current Dáil term.

The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said he saw no reasonable explanation for the House not meeting again until three weeks' time. "There is no reason it cannot reconvene on April 29th. We have managed to sit for 32 days since the beginning of the year," he added. "For 16 of those, the Taoiseach chose not to honour us with his presence. He has managed to be present for half the sitting days - 16 - and during that time the guillotine was used on 31 items of business. That is unprecedented at this stage of the lifetime of a Dáil." He knew, he added, that the Taoiseach wanted to stay out of the House as frequently as possible and whenever he could.

Mr Rabbitte said that there were days the House could sit to allow the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, to put through legislation to deal with the public order and crime situation. He added that it had not taken the Government long to put through the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill "to disembowel the original Act when it wanted to, but it cannot put through legislation to protect the safety of citizens when it is needed". He proposed that the Dáil reconvene on April 29th.

The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, said that for the Dáil not to be sitting gave credence to the belief that the Coalition was acting not behind a pane of glass but a brick wall.

The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, supported the Labour proposal, adding that in the event of the Northern situation being clarified, it might be necessary to recall the Dáil. Ms Harney said that she had no doubt the Dáil would be recalled if events in the North demanded it, adding that the Taoiseach would keep in touch with the Opposition parties during the break.

Mr James Breen (Independent, Clare) interjected to say that it was a deal between the Government and Labour, giving Labour preference over the technical group, which had led to the Taoiseach not being in the House on Thursdays.

Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said that Mr Breen had never spoken truer words.

"I support the proposal that the House should not adjourn for the period specified," he added. "There are so many reasons why we could argue for an earlier resumption of business following the Easter recess, not least because of the raft of legislation the Minister for Justice has to present to both Houses and the important rights-based legislation for people dealing with disabilities."

Mr Michael Ring (FG, Mayo) said he had been lectured by the Government on his opposition to the abolition of the dual mandate, and, yet, the same Government was proposing a three-week adjournment of the House.

The Labour proposal was defeated by 63 votes to 54.