Ireland's part-time parliament

Madam, - Emmet Stagg TD (January 30th), commenting on "the dismally few days on which the Dáil sits", is quick to tell us that…

Madam, - Emmet Stagg TD (January 30th), commenting on "the dismally few days on which the Dáil sits", is quick to tell us that parliamentary sittings are determined by the Government, going on to say that Labour "has been pressing for additional days".

Would he care to tell us on how many days a year the Dáil sat when Labour was party to a coalition government?

It's always easy to claim that those in power stop thinks happening, but it seems to me that this is self-serving nonsense when those making the statement have themselves been in power and didn't change the system then. - Yours etc,

TONY McCOY O'GRADY,

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Grangebrook Close,

Dublin 16.

Madam, - Kieran Phillips (January 29th) bemoans the fact that the Dáil sat on only 76 days in 2007. Given their lamentable performance on those days, why would he want to make things worse by having TDs attend more? - Yours, etc,

KEVIN O'SULLIVAN,

Ballyraine Park,

Letterkenny,

Co Donegal.