Fine Gael and Labour have published joint proposals for reform of the Dáil which would shorten holidays and increase the number of sitting days by 50 per cent.
The plan would extend the Dáil week from three to four days, increase the Taoiseach's exposure to questions from other party leaders and place a greater obligation on ministers to answer questions fully.
The two party leaders, Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte, said yesterday that they were committed to the introduction of reforms along the lines outlined if they were elected to government.
Mr Kenny maintained that the Government had "attempted to sideline the effectiveness of the Dáil over the last number of years" and had not carried out any significant reform.
According to the joint document, the structure of the Dáil sessions and the sitting week dated from an era when most TDs were part-timers. Both now needed to be significantly altered.
The document proposes that the Dáil should routinely sit for four days each week (Tuesday to Friday). Fridays should constitute real sitting days and should include an Order of Business and Question Time.
Leaders' questions should be taken not only on Tuesday and Wednesday, as at present, but on Thursday also. Recesses should be significantly shorter, with the Dáil not rising earlier than mid-July and returning not later than mid-September. It should sit until the third week of December and return not later than the third week of January.
The document also proposes that one specific week in each session should be designated for the taking of Europe-related issues.
It also calls for more time to be given to oral questions to ministers. Standing orders should be amended to place an obligation on ministers to ensure that questions were answered properly and fully, with the Ceann Comhairle given additional powers to police this.
Mr Rabbitte said he would prefer if, in the future, the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil was drawn from the Opposition benches, as had been the tradition in the past, rather than from the Government benches, which was the more recent practice.
"In recent years we have embarked on a winner-takes-all approach, and that is a pity," he said.
Tom Kitt, the Government Chief Whip, criticised the Fine Gael-Labour proposals last night, saying that they were mainly about "devoting more Dáil time for the sole purpose of political posturing and petty point-scoring by the Opposition parties".
He added: "Not once throughout their document do they mention providing more time to legislate in the public interest."
Mr Kitt said that the Government would welcome a genuine and honest debate on Dáil reform which would "serve the interest of the public, not party political interest".
Referring to recent "significant policy disagreements" between Fine Gael and Labour, Mr Kitt said: "Today's accord on Dáil grandstanding gives them no real credibility as a cohesive and united alternative. It remains the case that they are united by what they are against, not by what they are for."