The Opposition parties accused the Government of failing to introduce Dáil reform. They demanded extra sitting days - but only with the Taoiseach and ministers present to answer questions. Michael O'Regan reports.
There were heated exchanges with the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, who took the Order of Business in the absence of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, and the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith. The Government had comfortable majorities in all cases.
The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said extending the hours of the Thursday sitting, as proposed yesterday by the Government, was not the way to deal with the question of Dáil reform, "either in the interest of the staff of the Houses or deputies".
Opposition parties opposed today's sitting because of the absence of an Order of Business and of a ministerial Question Time. They are in favour of Friday sittings, but only on the basis of having the Taoiseach and ministers present for debate and questions. Today's sitting, in their view, is not extensive enough.
Mr Walsh said the additional three hours yesterday facilitated the Opposition, which was constantly calling for more time for debate and legislation. "There is important legislation to be attended to before the Christmas recess and we are facilitating the Opposition in that request."
He added that the Friday sittings represented "six hours of quality time".
Calling for the introduction of effective Dáil reform, the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said there would be no opportunity for members to ask questions or have a vote during today's sitting. "It seems that having the Dáil sit on a Friday is merely for optics and that the House can be run with a skeleton crew."
Mr John Gormley (Green Party, Dublin South East) said the House was always told the Government was interested in Dáil reform. "What we have here is frenetic activity just before Christmas . . . It is not the way to do business."
Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said the proposals for extended sittings did not equate with Dáil reform. "We have a substantive project to address. A little deal was done which allowed the Taoiseach to absent himself on Thursdays, but I was not aware it applied to a significant number of the other members of the Cabinet and to many other backbench members of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats."
Earlier, when Mr Walsh was the sole occupant of the Government benches, Mr Kenny said: "It must be a sign of Government confidence that it is able to send in the Minister on his own to take on the combined might of the Opposition. Given the Minister did such a good job in Punchestown, the Government must think he is able to take us all on."