TDs elected to the 30th Dáil will have engaged in parliamentary business for only seven days in four months because Oireachtas committees will not be established until the autumn.
Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt confirmed to The Irish Times last night that the committees, which traditionally sit in July and September, will not be established until October or November.
"This is the same situation as existed after the general elections in 2002 and 1997.
"There is a lot involved in setting up the committees and it will not happen before the summer recess," Mr Kitt said.
The Dáil will adjourn for the long summer break this Thursday and will not sit again until Wednesday, September 26th.
The Dáil met to elect a Taoiseach on June 14th and sat for three days last week. It will sit for three more days this week.
Mr Kitt said that there was a lot involved in establishing the committees. "It is a complex procedure and members are appointed based on the size of the parties. Due to the timing of the election, we will not get around to finalising the committees until after the summer recess, as happened in 2002 and 1997."
He said that TDs, particularly the newly-elected deputies, would be busy in their constituencies and settling into Leinster House over the summer. "Many are organising new staff and moving into offices."
TDs appointed as chairs of Oireachtas committees by the Taoiseach in the autumn will get an allowance of about €20,000. This is on top of the basic TD's salary of over €98,000.
It is understood that the Green Party will get the chair of one of the Dáil committees as part of the deal to go into coalition with Fianna Fáil.
Fine Gael pointed out last night that the party had proposed major reform of the Dáil which would involve the amount of sitting time increasing by 50 per cent and stricter scrutiny of legislation through committees.