The Dáil adjourned yesterday until September 28th, after sitting for 93 days since last September. An Opposition amendment for the Oireachtas to return two weeks earlier, on September 13th, was defeated by the Government by 59 votes to 51.
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent called for the Dáil to sit the same number of hours as the British House of Commons.
Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin pointed out, however, that "members of this House of all opinion put in phenomenal hours, and I do not believe many in other sectors would put in the same hours".
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen said the work of the committees would continue during July and again in September, and the Cabinet would continue working until August.
"Last year there were 22 committee meetings in July after the plenary session was completed. Since September 2004 we have published 30 Bills and enacted 22 Bills, while 10 await the signature of the President," he said.
The row over the early adjournment started when Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny called for the Dáil to return on September 13th.
He said he had "rarely seen a government of any party with such a desire to get out of the House for the summer break. This battered and bruised outfit is staggering towards the line and cannot wait to turn their backs on Leinster House and get away from being exposed and opposed." He described the latest Dáil session as "an appalling period for this Government".
Supporting the amendment Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said it was impossible to justify to the public three months' absence from plenary session of the Dáil.
He said: "The Government makes the decision to put the House into recess for three months, not the Dáil or Oireachtas". The only justification was the compulsion to escape from the House and avoid accountability and engage in a futile attempt to refurbish the "battered bedraggled image of the Government".
Mr Sargent compared the Dáil sittings of 93 days since last September to the House of Commons, which sat for 155 days. "A normal week in the Dáil is 22 hours. A normal week in the House of Commons is 32 hours." The House of Commons put in 70 per cent more hours than the Dáil.
If there was to be any respect for the Oireachtas "and if they were to have parity of esteem", the two parliaments should also maintain a parity of hours.
Cecilia Keaveney (FF, Donegal South West) quipped: "Are we part of the Commonwealth?"
"Members of the Green Party have already booked their holidays," Minister of State Noel Treacy added.
Mr Ó Caoláin was concerned that deputies "contribute to the fallacy that elected members of this House do not put in the hours that we all know we do. We do this House and democracy a disservice when we misrepresent a view that people are working the hours cited."
To calls of "hear, hear", he said deputies put in phenomenal hours, and few other sectors did the same level of work.
Replying for the Government, Mr Cowen said that in legislative terms the work of the House had been completed during the session, with 30 Bills published and 22 enacted.
The "predictable attempt by the Opposition to suggest that this country is not doing well is best counteracted by the ESRI report, which confirms that we have the fastest-growing economy in Europe".
