Patrick's Day exodus triggers Opposition fury

There were rowdy scenes in the Dáil yesterday as the Opposition condemned the Government for adjourning the House for St Patrick's week and were in turn accused of being "frauds" and "hypocrites".

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny claimed there would be an exodus of ministers abroad, while "anarchy rules in parts of the city and suburbs" of Dublin.

Demanding that the Dáil meet next Tuesday and Wednesday to deal with emergency gun legislation, he said:"[ There has been] drunkenness and disorder on the streets of Dublin on St Patrick's day in the last number of years. We had riots in this city just a fortnight ago and the danger out there in communities is palpable and the Government has failed to protect people in the streets and now in their homes."

But Minister for Justice Michael McDowell interrupted: "You opposed minimum sentences when they were last introduced." Mr Kenny denied this but the Minister insisted that when his predecessor brought in minimum sentences "you opposed them. You are a shower of hypocrites".

There was uproar and abuse from both sides. "You are the Minister but with your academic snobbery and intelligence you do not know what is happening on the streets," Mr Kenny shouted.

"Frauds. You're a pack of frauds, the lot of you," Mr McDowell roared back.

Mr Kenny had said the Dáil introduced emergency legislation on immigration, ground rents and long-stay patient payments, and Fine Gael would facilitate such legislation next week.

"You will fix it all next week," jeered Jim Glennon (FF, Dublin North).

Tánaiste Mary Harney, who was taking the Order of Business, reiterated what she said on Wednesday that firearms and gun amnesty provisions would be introduced within a fortnight as amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill.

She added that there had been a long tradition, including when Mr Kenny was in Government "for members of the Government to join Irish groups and associations in various parts of the world around our national feast day to help to promote this country's business and tourism. It has been highly successful for many years."

During the debate on the adjournment Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said: "We are being asked to turn St Patrick's day into St Patrick's week which is quite unique for most people in this country who expect next Friday to be the only day that is a holiday".

To be off for a week "is unacceptable. There is no reason for it and we should rejected it here and now". The Dáil "should start to recognise that outside this House this is completely unacceptable, regardless of the explanations being put out that some members are going to be on the other side of the world and therefore we all have to mark time."

He added: "With the levels of amnesia on Government benches, there is every likelihood the Government will forget where the Dáil is if they are off for a week".

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring (Mayo) said the Dáil was sitting less since the end of the dual mandate, when TDs could also act as councillors. Mr Ring had taken an unsuccessful High Court case opposing the ending of the dual mandate. He reminded the House that the Government had told the Court "we would be sitting on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday". The Dáil should be open. "That is what we were elected for - to represent the people, not to be in Cheltenham or America."

The Dáil voted on the issue electronically and then Fine Gael demanded a manual vote which Sinn Féin abstained from as time wasting. The Government won by 61 to 39 votes and the Dáil adjourned until March 21st.