Those of a generous disposition would say they’re off for eight weeks. The begrudgers and bitter might say nine weeks – the recess actually lasts for eight weeks and six days.
The reasonable would settle for two months and the Dáil on its rising adjourned until Wednesday, September 18th at 2.30 pm.
Backbenchers had been 99 per cent sure they would be off for the summer yesterday, but there still remained a smidgen of doubt. After all, the Taoiseach has form. Enda Kenny previously called their bluff after Opposition outrage that the Dáil was going into recess.
There might have been some relief that he wasn’t in the chamber yesterday.
And there was certainly no doubt about the view from the opposition benches when the first words uttered were to offer best wishes to the staff of the Houses of Oireachtas for the summer, and to the media too.
They were spoken by Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley, who didn’t even wait until the Order of Business but used some of his time on Leaders’ Questions to say his party would certainly not be arguing against recess, after what has been a long, late and fraught session.
Later though, as the giddy atmosphere heightened, Timmy did raise the matter when he said to raucous interruptions: “In a break with tradition and custom that was exercised by those on the other side when they occupied these benches, we won’t be seeking an extension of this session.”
There were big grins on the Government benches, especially when he suggested they should deal with Dáil reform when they resumed.
Always in Opposition the plea for Dáil reform but then in Government conveniently forgotten. There have been some reforms, which the Opposition dismiss as ineffective. But perhaps the biggest one is the summer holidays being reduced by at least a third.
But after last week’s late night happenings, there is one guaranteed Dáil reform – the House will not be doing overnight sessions again.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald referred to probably the most urgent reform – the gender issue.
At one point during barbed exchanges between the Tánaiste and the Fianna Fáil Clare TD, Ms McDonald quipped: “I thought this was just a random thing between two guys in the Chamber.”
The Tánaiste reminded her of Government legislation to introduce gender quotas to ensure at least 30 per cent of candidates at elections are female.
Later the House got through legislation and debates on issues that would usually take a week. There is no doubting the lure of sunshine and freedom.
In the end, it was for controversial TD Peter Mathews, in the chair, to wish everyone happy holidays: “Laethanta saoire sona daoibh go léir. Slán agus beannacht libh.”