The Green Party has said the Dáil should sit until the end of July to prevent the Government rushing legislation through before it rises for the summer recess next Thursday.
The party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, said "bad law" was the inevitable result of rushed legislation.
At a short protest outside Leinster House yesterday, he said it was unacceptable that the Dáil would rise for a recess of three months when there was not adequate time to deal with 12 pieces of legislation.
Mr Sargent added: "It's clear that the Government does not want debate and that makes for bad legislation. Bad law is worse than having no law."
During the protest action, five of the party's TDs used a guillotine to slice up Government Bills.
They accused the Government of ramming Bills through the Dáil "in dictatorial fashion" so that the Opposition could not avail of the opportunity to amend legislation.
The Government is preparing to finalise 11 pieces of legislation before the recess.
These include the Intoxicating Liquor Bill, which will restrict pub opening hours, and the Protection of the Environment Bill.
Mr Sargent said that publicans and addiction counsellors had valid observations to make on the Intoxicating Liquor Bill, but said the legislation would not reflect their views.
While Greens had a particular contribution to make to the debate on the Environment Bill, Mr Sargent said the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, was "not interested in other peoples' views".
Mr Sargent said there was no reason why the Dáil could not sit throughout July to provide for a more thorough debate on the outstanding legislation.
Noting that many TDs were already obliged to attend Leinster House during July for committee meetings, he said this gave a "completely false impression" of activity.
Mr Sargent suggested that an alternative to the Dáil sitting through July would be for TDs to return earlier from the summer break, which does not end until October.
