Dáil row breaks out over Cowen's speech length

A row broke out in the Dáil today over the length of Minister for Finance Brian Cowen's Budget speech.

Green Party finance spokesman Dan Boyle complained that his response in the chamber would be too late for live RTÉ coverage because Mr Cowen's statement was longer than previous years.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern confirmed that Mr Cowen's speech was longer than last year.

"This speech will take about 75 minutes. That is what it has been timed at," he said.

The spokespersons for Fine Gael and Labour will each be allotted equal 75 minutes while the Greens, Sinn Fein and Technical Group get 25 minutes each.

But Mr Boyle said Budget statements in the past three years only took 45 minutes to deliver. He told Mr Ahern that live coverage of Budget Day on RTÉ television finished at 6.30pm.

"It is a set-piece occasion in the life of this House and gave members one of the few opportunities they have of articulating an alternative vision to the Government."

A Cork TD reminded Mr Ahern that the Greens don't have access to political broadcasts on the Budget like other parties. "This is quite a cynical gesture in the way the time is allotted," he added.

But Minister of State Conor Lenihan interjected: "Surely it's the substance of what you have to say that is important in Parliament."

Mr Boyle replied: "You try to make a comment in this house after 6 o'clock and see what type of media coverage is given to you."

The Ceann Comhairle Rory O'Hanlon said television coverage was a matter for RTE. "It's very important that this House does its business in the way that it feels it should do its business," he said.

The row was resolved by Labour Party whip Emmet Stagg who suggested that his party would only use 45 minutes of the allotted 75 minutes to allow an area slot for the Greens, Sinn Fein and the Technical Group. This proposal was later accepted and passed by the House.

Opposition finance spokesman Richard Bruton will be the first to respond to Mr Cowen's Budget and will be followed by Joan Burton of Labour, Mr Boyle of the Greens, Sinn Fein's Caoimhghin O Caolain and Finian McGrath for the Technical Group of independent TDs.