WHO says politicians have long holidays? Well they don't and they are increasingly able to prove it. This week the Dail reconvened during the summer recess to discuss our most urgent issues, crime and the North, and as PD leader Mary Harney told the assembled TDs, despite what is being said they have not been on holidays and she could see no brown faces around the chamber.
Indeed, the Dail order paper on Thursday carried an unprecedented 995 questions for written answer the vast bulk of them from the opposition parties. Deputies knew for more than a month that the house was being recalled so questions were tabled on every issue under the sun. Civil servants in many departments have done little else but deal with Parliamentary Questions of late.
The reason for the politicians' increased workload, along with clinics and constituency work that rumbles on weekend after weekend, is the committee sittings: these now continue during July and September.
Another reason is our presidency of the EU, which keeps all Ministers busy. August is supposed to be an empty month, diarywise, and politicians throughout Europe head off on their hols. Ours are doing the same, leaving just a skeleton staff to keep things ticking over, but already there is talk of serious interruption if the Apprentice Boys parade causes trouble in Derry on the 14th.
FF wants to be seen to be busy too so the regular front bench meetings are to be held in Cork, Monaghan and Westport and a location in Leinster, instead of Dublin, during September. "While the government is jetting around the world, we will be touring the country and meeting the people" said one senior FFer.