Progressive Democrats failed to "crawl out of their doghouse" after only one of its eight TDs turned up to vote on the recess of the Dáil today, according to Labour's Mr Eamon Gilmore.
The Labour party TD was angry at the recess, agreeing with Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent who told the House that it should be sitting to discuss matters such as Northern Ireland.
Mr Gilmore claimed the 12-day recess was proposed by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, because the Government "do not like being questioned and being held to account by the Opposition". "They are running away," he said.
"At the last General Election, the PDs promised to act as the watchdog of this Government. But they were hardly back in office they stopped barking. Thismorning they didn't even crawl out of their doghouse", he added.
The recess comes just four weeks after the Dáil resumed after its three-month summer break.