Fine Gael and Labour have called on the Taoiseach to acknowledge that the crisis besetting the child abuse inquiry has resulted from Government failings.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, yesterday listed Government actions which he said made it culpable in relation to the current difficulties.
"They struck an extremely poor deal at the last minute with the religious orders; they failed to provide the Laffoy Commission with documentation in a timely manner to help with their inquiries; they have clearly mishandled the review of the workings of the commission with the resulting resignation of Justice Laffoy; they refuse to shed any light on the problems faced by the commission by publishing Justice Laffoy's resignation letter and attendant 15 documents."
Mr Kenny said the Taoiseach and the Government were "busy challenging the potential length and cost of the current process while they prepare a defence against the contents of Justice Laffoy's letter".
He said the matter could only be moved forward when the problems caused by the Government's handling of the matter had been addressed.
The Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, called on the Taoiseach to say what the Government proposed to do. "This resignation, and the attempt by the Government to spend a week cobbling together a response, has caused incredible anguish for the victims who are being left in limbo by the Government," he said. In contrast to the resignation of Mr Justice Flood from the planning tribunal, there was little sense of urgency.